Percy’s Big Mistake

**Percy's Big Mistake** is the second episode of the eighth season and the 175th episode overall.

## Plot

Percy is a very busy engine with many jobs to do. Perhaps one too many jobs, as the workload often makes him late. One evening, Percy arrives late at Knapford Harbour and the harbour manager decides to tell the Fat Controller about Percy being late. When Percy arrives back at Ffarquhar Sheds that evening, he hears the Fat Controller talking to his driver, though he tries to ignore it. When the Fat Controller mentions "Percy must go to the Ironworks for scrap tomorrow", Percy is very worried; he quickly jumps to the conclusion that, due to his lateness, he is now going to be scrapped.

The next morning, Percy is frightened, though Toby convinces him that he will not be scrapped as he is Really Useful. However, when Percy sees the time on the clock, he races out of the shed and goes to the Docks. At Brendam, Percy is to collect some pipes, but Cranky is being slow and goes even slower when Percy orders him to hurry up. Once the pipes are in the trucks, Percy leaves too soon and does not wait for the pipes to be tied down. This makes them fall off the trucks, but Percy does not see this and delivers the now empty trucks to Wellsworth. Then he collects some flatbeds with barrels full of tar to take to some workmen mending the roads at Vicarstown.

Percy pushes the flatbeds up and over Gordon's Hill, but he is going too fast as he pushes them down. As a result, the trucks crash into Gordon waiting at a signal, spilling the barrels of tar all over him. Gordon is very cross at the mess and wonders what the Fat Controller would think. Now Percy is convinced that he will be scrapped, so he runs away.

Soon, Harvey clears up the mess and the Fat Controller arrives aboard Thomas. Gordon tells the Fat Controller that Percy ran away and Thomas tells the Fat Controller what Percy said about being scrapped. Soon a search party for Percy is underway. Whilst looking around on his branch line, Thomas knows where Percy might be. Soon, Thomas arrives at Ffarquhar Sheds, where Percy is hiding. Percy begs the Fat Controller not to scrap him, but the Fat Controller comforts Percy by revealing the truth; he had known that Percy was late because of the large amount of work he had been given and had felt sorry for him, so he decided to have Percy take some trucks to the scrapyard and then, as a break from his busy schedule, have him only pull the mail for a whole week.

Percy is happy with his week-long mail run every night and the good amount of rest inbetween. He promises to himself that he will not jump to conclusions again.

## Characters

* Thomas
* Gordon
* Percy
* Toby
* Cranky
* The Fat Controller
* Harvey *(does not speak)*
* Edward *(cameo)*
* Big Mickey *(cameo)*

## Locations

* Tidmouth Yards
* Kirk Ronan Coal Mine
* Knapford Harbour
* Ffarquhar Quarry
* Wellsworth
* Hackenbeck
* Ffarquhar Sheds
* Brendam Docks
* Wellsworth Yards
* Gordon's Hill
* Maron
* Suddery Hill
* Valley Bridge
* Tidmouth Sheds
* Elsbridge Sheds
* Vicarstown
* Ffarquhar
* Sodor Ironworks *(mentioned)*

## Trivia

* This is the second time an engine gets covered with tar. The first being in the first season episode, Dirty Objects.
* It is highly likely that this version of the episode will contain:
	+ An explanation of what went wrong with the coupling of the brakevan that Percy lost.
	+ Where the brakevan ended up after it rolled past Gordon and went out of sight.
	+ Why the signalman suddenly changed the points back to Gordon's line before Percy crashed his now brakevan-less flatbeds into him after the brakevan went past.
	+ The narrator mentioning that The Fat Controller's car was at the garage since he was travelling around in Thomas' cab during the second half.
	+ The ending being extended and slightly longer to show The Fat Controller talking to Gordon and Cranky about Percy's misunderstanding.