Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia
Register
Advertisement
Main Page

“Little green/red piggy in the middle!”
― 'Arry and Bert teasing Percy and James

Middle Engine is the fourteenth episode of the sixth series.

Plot

The engines enjoy their work like taking the mail or pulling the express, except for being a "middle engine", which is pushing trucks in front and pulling them from behind where it is not fun. One day, Percy is collecting coal trucks from the Smelters Yard to take to the coaling plant, but 'Arry and Bert play a trick on him by shunting trucks in front of him, making him a "middle engine". Percy has to go slowly between the rakes of trucks and James teases him by calling him "pokey" or a "slowcoach". Percy has to shunt the front trucks onto the tipper for the coal to be dumped.

Percy knows it is against the rules for an engine to go on the tipper's loading ramp while it is operating. But when his driver and fireman leave, Henry arrives to collect some coal trucks, not knowing that Percy is there and accidentally bumps him onto the loading ramp. Percy is then lifted up and brought back down with his coal dumped out. The yard manager is cross with Percy for causing confusion and delay and reports the incident to the Fat Controller.

That night at the sheds, The Fat Controller scolds Percy for the incident. Percy tries to explain that it was not his fault and that it was because 'Arry and Bert made him a middle engine, but the Fat Controller restricts him to shunting in the yard as punishment until he gets to the bottom of the situation. James quietly brags that he can handle 'Arry and Bert, but is heard by the Fat Controller who sends him to the smelter's yard to do Percy's work the next day, to James' dismay.

At first, James does not let 'Arry and Bert's bullying get in his way and thinks he has put them in their place. However, once it is time to take the train out, 'Arry plays the same trick they did on Percy yesterday. Not wanting to be like a "middle engine", James refuses to move, so Percy has to pull him with his train to the docks. Percy then jokes that James is learning to be a "middle engine", leaving the red engine angry and embarrassed as he tries to cover himself in a steam cloud.

Characters

Locations

Trivia

  • In the US dub:
    • The Coaling Plant manager has a Bronx accent.
    • The same singular line "coal cars" is used throughout the episode. This is most noticeable when Percy is approaching the tipper.
  • Scrap models of Thomas, Gordon, James, Toad, City of Truro, Lorry 2 and one of the Scottish Twins are seen.
  • This episode marks several things for 'Arry and Bert:
    • The first time 'Arry is referred to by name.
    • Bert's first speaking role.
    • The first time where both of them have speaking roles.
    • Their only speaking roles in the sixth series.
  • This episode marks the last appearance of Duck's cross face.
  • This is the second episode where a character says "confusion and delay" after the fifth series episode, Oliver's Find, but the fourth episode where the phrase is used overall. In the fifth series episode, Cranky Bugs and the sixth series episode, The World's Strongest Engine, it was said by the narrator.
  • CITV repeated this episode on 28 February 2003, alongside the final episode of Ripley and Scuff.

Goofs

  • In the first close-ups of 'Arry and Bert in widescreen, James is standing in between them; this is because footage from later into the episode is used. James cannot be seen next to Bert on 4:3 centre-cut prints of this scene.
  • In a close up of 'Arry after Percy gets stuck in the middle, his eyes are misaligned.
  • Henry pushes Percy onto the loading ramp twice. Also when Percy is on the ramp, he is not tethered to it, but he is in the next scene.
  • Percy's side rods continue to change position at random when he is on the loading ramp. They also change positions when he collects James and the trucks.
  • In a close-up of Percy being tipped over, the rails underneath him disappear.
  • In some of the scenes of Percy being lifted, his wheels do not have counterweights.
  • When Percy is lowered back onto the ground:
    • His eyes briefly jitter.
    • His lamp is tilted downward a bit.
    • His driver has some fingerprint stains on his body.
  • When 'Arry and Bert roll alongside James, James and Bert's eyes are misaligned.
  • James said he would not move, but in the shots when Percy is pulling him and the trucks, steam is coming out of James' funnel as if he was moving.
  • When Percy buffers up to James, the sound effect come in about a second late.
  • Percy's steam platform is visible when he takes James and all the trucks to Brendam.
  • In the close up of the manager, he has a hole on his right arm (viewers left).

Quotes

  • ['Arry shunts trucks in front of Percy]
  • Percy: Oh bother!
  • 'Arry: Little green piggy in the middle!

_______________________________________________________________________________________

  • [after Percy had been inadvertently shunted onto the loading ramp, which we know was Henry by accident]
  • The Fat Controller: I'm very disappointed in you Percy, you know it's against the rules to go on the tipper's loading ramp!
  • Percy: Sorry, sir, but wasn't my fault, it's because those diesels made me a middle engine.
  • The Fat Controller: Nevertheless, you will shunt trucks in the yard until I can get to the bottom of this.
  • James: Pah! I could handle those diesels with bend buffers and a busted boiler.
  • The Fat Controller: Then you will do Percy's run to the smelters.
  • James: Yes, sir.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

  • 'Arry: Hello, James. Come to learn a thing or two from those who know?
  • James: Just get my trucks ready and stay out of my way!
  • Bert: Yes, sir!

_______________________________________________________________________________________

  • 'Arry: [shunts trucks in front of James] Little red piggy in the middle!
  • Bert: Just like Percy!
  • James: I am not like Percy. I am not a middle engine, and I'm not moving!
  • Narrator: And he didn't.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

  • Dock Manager: [sees James in the middle of the train] Right on time, but what is that big red engine doing in the middle?
  • Percy: Learning.
  • Manager: Learning what?
  • Percy: Learning to be a middle engine!
  • [angry and embarrassed, James attempts to cover himself with steam]

Merchandise

In Other Languages

View content
Language Title
Albanian Lokomotiva në Mes
Chinese Mandarin 中型火车头
Czech Uprostřed
Danish Midterlokomotivet
Dutch De Middelste Locomotief
Finnish Keskimmäinen veturi
Hungarian A Középső Mozdony
Italian La Locomotiva Intermedia
Japanese まんなかのきかんしゃ
Korean 중간에 끼면?
Norwegian Midt i Mellom
Polish Środkowa Lokomotywa
Romanian Locomotivă de Mijloc
Russian Паровоз посередине
Serbian Srednja Lokomotiva
Slovenian Lokomotiva na Sredi
Swedish Mellanloket
Welsh Yr Injan Ganol

Home Media Releases

UK

DVD Packs

WAL

US

CAN

  • Percy's Chocolate Crunch and Other Thomas Adventures

DVD Packs

AUS

DVD Packs

JPN

KOR

PHL

NOR/DK

DK DVD Boxsets

SVN

MYS

SWE

ITA

THA

HK

TWN


Advertisement