Knapford Station

Percy the Small Engine

Illustration controversy

Like Henry the Green Engine, Percy was the source of much friction between Rev. W. Awdry and C. Reginald Dalby, the illustrator of The Railway Series. Awdry complained that Percy did not look like a real locomotive, an issue that had caused contention between the two men on several occasions and concerning several characters. In the case of Percy, it was particularly infuriating, as Awdry had built a model of the engine in order that the artist could use it as a reference.

All this came to a head when the book Percy the Small Engine, centring on the eponymous character, was written. Awdry sent Dalby a letter requesting that he should make Percy look less like "a green caterpillar with red stripes". Insulted by this, Dalby resigned from the Railway Series.

Subsequent illustrators modified the design to make Percy look more like a typical industrial locomotive. The television series, however, utilised the original design.

The phrase "a green caterpillar with red stripes" resurfaces in the later story 'Woolly Bear', in which Thomas uses it as an insult to Percy and amends were made between Awdry and Dalby.

The Origins of Percy

In general outline, Percy is a fairly typical British industrial shunting locomotive. His bunker is quite unusual for an 0-4-0 shunter, but was presumably added to allow him to travel greater distances without refuelling than was previously possible. It is not known where Percy came from, but according to the book Troublesome Engines, he was bought at an "engine workshop" by the Fat Controller. Percy was needed to shunt the yard at the main station, as the tender engines (Gordon, Henry, James) had protested about having to shunt their own trains.

The Rev. W. Awdry considered it essential that his railway stories should be as realistic as possible. To this end, most of his locomotive characters were based upon real designs. However, Percy was designed before that policy came into effect. Percy's history within the fictional universe is largely unknown, as he does not precisely match any real locomotive design he is of "obscure antecedents", as the Rev. Awdry himself puts it. He does bear a resemblance to several designs of 0-4-0 tank locomotive built by the Avonside Engine Company such as GWR No. 1340 Trojan, and so Awdry stated that Percy had probably begun as one of these, but had been extensively rebuilt "fitters at Crovan's Gate have found components made by Hunslet and other manufacturers".

A mock-up "Percy" at a Day out with Thomas event on the Llangollen Railway

Percy as a model

Percy is an 0-4-0ST of unknown origin, but is almost certainly second hand. Percy arrived on Sodor in 1949 and was first used as Tidmouth Pilot, then to help rebuild Knapford Harbour. Percy is now based at Ffarquhar.

Percy arrived in "Troublesome Engines" (1949), the only loco whose acquisition from a workshop is actually described. His own book "Percy the Small Engine" dates from 1956. C. Reginald Dalby quit as illustrator after Awdry described his portrayal of Percy in "Percy the Small Engine" as a "caterpillar". Amends were made in "Tramway Engines" (1972) when Percy's accident with treacle and straw obligingly made him look like a real caterpillar. In the tale of how he came about, note that "the artist didn't pay much attention, so my Percy -- the proper one -- looks different from the Percy in the books"!! the Rev also describes his "Spare Percy" for use during emergencies:

"I built PERCY in 1949 (the year I wrote "Troublesome Engines" - the book in which Percy first appears), and I soldered him together out of brass and other parts cut and filed to shape. I wanted another engine - Thomas was then the only one I had - and I also wanted a model of Percy to help our then artist draw his pictures; but the artist didn't pay much attention, so my Percy -- the proper one -- looks different from the Percy in the books. Stewart Reidpath made a chassis for me and fitted it with one of his motors, so Percy is sometimes as temperamental as Thomas, and for the same reason. He will run and shunt beautifully for weeks on end and the suddenly, and for no apparent reason, decide to be 'Awkward'. This can be exasperating, especially at exhibitions. He did this at Nottingham Exhibition 1978, and the only thing to do then was to use my 'Spare Percy' which I had made for just such an emergency.

"To make 'Spare Percy' I cut out the boiler and side tanks from a Triang 'Nellie' and filled the resulting space between cap and smokebox with a section of saddletank cut from an Airfix kit. The outside cylinders came from another Airfix kit, and were cemented to 'Nellie's' metal frames with Evostick. I fitted scale wheels in place of 'Nellie's' rather clumsy ones, and filled up the body with plasticine. The good wheels and extra weight has made 'Spare Percy' into a smooth running engine almost as good as the real Percy in his best moments."

Meanwhile, Hornby's later 00 gauge Percy was made from a brand new tool after initial thoughts to use their Caledonian Railway "Pug" were rejected, although Percy eventually came to share many of its parts.

Percy in the television series

In the Thomas and Friends television series, Percy made his debut in the first season, in an episode called "Trouble in the Shed" which originally aired in 1984. His personality has been kept the same, up until about Season 8 when he became more curious about the world around; almost in resemblance to Sesame Street's Elmo. He particularly enjoys pulling the mail train.

Percy is voiced in the Japanese dub of Seasons 18 by Chisato Nakajima, his new voice in Season 9 is provided by Chie Koujiro.

Percy in Thomas and the Magic Railroad

Percy is first seen in the movie Thomas and the Magic Railroad when Henry reveals the legend of the lost engine; where he suggests that they start searching for her. He overhears Mr. Conductor talking in his sleep about magic buffers, he concludes that those buffers lead to the Magic Railroad. He tells Thomas, but is overheard by Diesel 10.

When the location of the buffers is located indirectly by Thomas, Percy is ordered to guard the buffers; he finds Splatter and Dodge later near the buffers, and warns Thomas and Mr. Conductor in time for them to help Lily Stone return to her grandfather.

Percy was voiced by Linda Ballantyne in the movie; Chisato Nakajima played him in the Japanese version.

References

^ a b The Rev. W., Awdry (1987). The Island of Sodor, its People, History, and Railways. Kaye & Ward. p. 132. ISBN 0 434 92762 7. 

External links

Percy the Small Engine Fan page

Martin Clutterbuck's page on the origins of Percy.

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Categories: The Railway Series characters | Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends characters | Fictional locomotives | 1950 introductionsHidden categories: Articles lacking in-text citations from January 2010 | All articles lacking in-text citations

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