Percy

Percy is a protagonist and a member of The New Action Squad.

## **BIOGRAPHY**

Percy was most likely built by the Avonside Engine Company sometime after the turn of the centuary and had a subsequent rebuild in the period before he was sold second-hand to the North Western Railway by a factory on the Mainland. He is said to have been found to contain Hunslet parts, among others, according to workers at Crovan's Gate.

When Gordon, James and Henry went on strike in protest of fetching their own coaches following Thomas' departure to run his branch line, the Fat Controller decided the railway needed another tank engine. At the engine workshop, the Fat Controller saw a green saddle tank. When the engine said that he was willing to work hard, the Fat Controller bought him and named him Percy. Bringing him back to Sodor, Percy was charged with running the branch line while Thomas ran the Main Line with Edward and was allowed to stay after the big engines surrendered and returned to work. At first, Percy liked to annoy the big engines. Percy was later waiting at Knapford, but forgot to whistle to the signalman and thus was startled when Gordon came running towards him with the express. Gordon managed to stop in time, but Percy was so frightened, he ran away and ended up stuck in a sandbank. He was rescued by Gordon and took up the duty of station pilot at Tidmouth.

Percy was still a cheeky engine and often liked to play jokes on Gordon and James, only for the two engines to have their revenge when Percy failed to recognise a "backing signal". After this, Percy was subject to bullying from the big engines until Duck arrived and helped Percy to put the big engines in their place, although Percy still received a reprimand from the Fat Controller for it.

Outside of Sodor, he is also a member of The New Action Squad.

## **APPEARANCE**

Percy is an 0-4-0 saddle tank believed to have been built by the Avonside Engine Company of Bristol, but prior to being purchased second or third hand by Sir Topham Hatt he acquired components from Hunslet of Leeds and other builders.

In the Story Library Book called The Fat Controller, a maroon tank engine seen in the workshop vaguely resembled Percy, so it is likely that the engine is also based on this design.

Percy is painted in NWR apple green with red and yellow lining. His number is painted on the sides of his cab in yellow with red lining and the lining around his cab windows is yellow.

In the Railway Series, he carries two builder's plates on the sides of his cab.

## **PERSONALITY**

Percy is a rather cheeky, but kind engine. He normally behaves well, yet he also gets himself in trouble by jumping into situations without adequately thinking them through first. He loves teasing other engines, especially bigger ones such as Gordon and James, but is always brought down to earth in due course by anyone who gives him the moral to learn, especially the Fat Controller. He can also be somewhat timid.

Percy can also be questionable and naive to certain difficult words: he would say "dingy-fried" whereas anyone else would say "dignified", "dimmer-station" instead of "demonstration", "inspectacles" instead of "inspector", etc.

Percy is incredibly accident-prone and has many accidents, sometimes due to his own silliness or his tricks backfiring. He holds the dubious record of the most accidents in one series - five; all of which happened in the second series - crashing into some buffers, falling into the sea, being pushed onto a brake van, colliding with a cart of lime and being hit by a falling crate of treacle. His silliest accident to date, however, was in the sixth series, when he slipped on oily rails and crashed through the chocolate factory and emerged covered in chocolate. Despite this, he always tries to do his best, learns from his mistakes and get his jobs done, a loyalty which Sir Topham Hatt has praised him for on many occasions.

Although their friendship has been turbulent at times, Thomas is Percy's best friend. He is also good friends with Toby. While he has a small rivalry with Harold stemming from their race, they are always willing to help each other when in trouble.

## **TRIVIA**

* One of Percy's models is currently on display in Japan at the Hara Model Railway Museum and is wearing his smiling face mask (previously on display at Nitrogen Studios), along with his large-scale model used for the spin-off series, The Pack (previously on display at Thomas Town). Three of Percy's face masks are also in possession of Twitter user ThomasTankMerch.
* Percy is the only engine who is known to have been named by Sir Topham Hatt.
* Percy is the first engine in the series to have only four wheels.
* In the French narration of the first seven series, Percy is called "Pierre".
* In the Greek narration of the first seven series, Percy is called "Jerry". From the thirteenth series onwards, Percy has been referred to with his original name.
* Percy has been shown to be quite popular among several people who worked on the series:
	+ According to Abi Grant on her website, Percy is her favourite character.
	+ Britt Allcroft also stated he was her favourite character (due to him being green and cheeky).
	+ Percy is also Mark Moraghan's favourite character, alongside Cranky.
* Percy's Voice Actor (Nigel Pilkington) Also voices Evil Earl. A recurring villain (Soon an anti-hero) in The New Action Squad series.