RWS #11: Percy the Small Engine

We're cranking the Railway Series up to 11 with Percy the small engine!

THE OPINIONS, THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS IN THIS BLOG POST ARE SOLELY THOSE OF ZACK WANZER, NOT THE THOMAS FANDOM IN GENERAL

(special thanks to the Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the images)

The Railway Series Book #11

Four Little Engines

Written by The Rev. W. Awdry

Illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby

Published 1956

Since his arrival in Troublesome Engines, Percy has proven to be a useful asset to the Fat Controller's fleet. But now, he's got his own book for me to review, and I hope he's matured since then...!

Dear Christopher, and Giles, and Peter, and Clive,
Thank you for writing to ask for a book about Percy. He is still cheeky, and we were afraid (Sir Topham Hatt and I) that if he had a book to himself, it might make him cheekier than ever, and that would never do!

But Percy has been such a Really Useful Engine that we both think he deserves a book. Here it is.
The Author

Percy and the Signal

Season 2, Episode 7

After playing jokes on Gordon and James, Percy stays away from them for a while, but one day, he carelessly goes over to them and they tell him about "backing signals". Percy believes he sees a backing signal, and makes a fool of himself, much to Gordon's amusement.

Let's knock a couple elephants in the room out of the way:

1. The first half of the episode is not filler. That's like saying Duck should be in the Steam Team and not Emily; it's illogical. The first half was Percy playing tricks on Gordon (giving him trucks) and James (to stay in the shed as the Fat Controller wants to see him), and it builds up to the big engines getting back at him. If you cut that out, then Gordon and James would be tricking Percy for absolutely no reason.
2. Percy is not stupid in this episode; he was gullible. There's a clear difference between gullibility and idiocy. Say what you want about Percy in this episode, but at least he isn't making friends with animals or looking for monsters (I mean in S16, not Tale of the Brave).

Other than those little issues I had to deal with, I think this is a solid story, and it shows Percy's naivety perfectly. Oh, and James' face coming off? Who knew that the model makers could make such a humorous cock up?

RWS/TV Series Rating: 9 out of 10

Duck Takes Charge

Season 2, Episode 8

There's too much work for Percy at the big station, so the Fat Controller brings in a tank engine named Montague - more commonly known as Duck for his supposed waddle - to do the work for Percy. When the big engines mock Duck for his name, he and Percy get even with them by refusing to let them in the sheds until the Fat Controller tells everyone off.

SILENCE!!! ...sorry, force of habit whenever this episode is brought up. :P

Anyway, the introductory episode of Duck; now, you may be asking me if Duck and the Slip Coaches ended differently with Emily coming out on top and James had no spot in the sheds, would my opinion for Duck be different? Frankly, the answer is no. Even without that mean-spirited "joke", I'd still very much find Duck to be an overrated character because whenever he appears in the likes of Spencer's VIP or Henry's Hero, because he is all the fans talk about, along with Oliver. Honestly, if he appeared with a speaking role or cameo in Don't Be Silly, Billy, Henry's Magic Box, Thomas' Frosty Friend, or even Wonky Whistle, those episodes would still be pretty bad

Onto the actual episode/story itself; why would they say Percy and Duck were on the points when the former was on the turntable? Even as a kid, I bet that must've confused me. The quacking made by the big engines is also pretty funny. Even if the stories are of the same quality, I say the original story is better because of the shed issue.

RWS Rating: 9 out of 10
TV Series Rating: 8 out of 10

Percy and Harold

Season 2, Episode 9

Percy meets Harold the helicopter, who says that railways are slow and outdated. Percy is offended at that, and races him while on a run to the harbor. He wins, and is rewarded with a song about his victory,

It feels like the rail vs. air version of Thomas and Bertie, and although not to the same quality as said episode, Percy and Harold is still a pretty good story. There is a continuity mistake with Percy and Toby meeting at the quarry (which the little green engine wouldn't go to until Percy's Predicament) when it was Ffarquhar station in the original. But even so, the episode is still enjoyable and I'd happily watch it again.

RWS/TV Series Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Percy's Promise

Season 3, Episode 2

Thomas is busy, so Percy takes the Sunday School children home. It rains heavily, and Percy runs into trouble with a flooded paddock. Fueled by Clarabel's floorboards, Percy struggles on through the flood with supplies provided by Harold. Percy makes it safely and is praised for his heroics.

This should've stayed for season two and Percy Takes the Plunge for season three; the continuity trouble is really annoying, and it just confuses kids, especially coming from a woman who said The Missing Coach would confuse kids...! And why a brakevan behind Clarabel? Was she suffering from brake trouble, I don't know? The episode is good, but the continuity really puts me off.

RWS Rating: 9 out of 10
TV Series Rating: 6.5 out of 10

(nothing wrong the adaptation; it's just in the wrong place)

Stray Observations

This is the last book illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby; Awdry criticized him for his Percy illustrations, saying he looked like a green caterpillar with red stripes, which caused Dalby to resign. We'll get to story that influenced from that argument in fifteen books' time...

What's with Duck's windows? If he's a 57xx, then why are the windows styled after a 8750's? Was Dalby looking at the wrong type of Pannier? Yet another reason that Great Western machines have identity crisises... (If you aren't familiar with Steam Locos in Profile, you're not gonna get the reference.)

Overall

A great book featuring a great character; it's another case of the status quo changing on Sodor with Percy moving to Thomas' branchline and Duck taking over as station pilot. Then again, this happens a lot in the Railway Series.

Overall Book Rating: 8.9 out of 10

The Railway Series Scorecard

1. The Three Railway Engines: 8.4

2. Thomas the Tank Engine: 9
3. James the Red Engine: 7.5
4. Tank Engine Thomas Again: 9.5
5. Troublesome Engines: 8.1
6. Henry the Green Engine: 8.4
7. Toby the Tram Engine: 9
8. Gordon the Big Engine: 8.6
9. Edward the Blue Engine: 9.3
10. Four Little Engines: 8.8
11. Percy the Small Engine: 8.9

Thomas and Friends Season 2 Scorecard

2. Cows: 8

3. Bertie's Chase: 9

4. Saved from Scrap: 9.5

5. Old Iron: 10
7. Percy and the Signal: 9
8. Duck Takes Charge: 8
9. Percy and Harold: 8.5

Thomas and Friends Season 3 Scorecard

1. A Scarf for Percy: 8.5
2. Percy's Promise: 6.5

9. Henry's Forest: 9
10. The Trouble with Mud: 4

26. Thomas and Percy's Christmas (Mountain) Adventure: 7.5 (UK) / 4 (US)