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This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the magazine story, the Chinese book or the Malaysian DVD.

“Whistles are for safety, not for playing games. You must only use your whistle when the time is right.”
― The Fat Controller

Percy's New Whistle is the second episode of the eighth series.

Plot

Whilst delivering trucks to the quarry, Percy whistles a greeting to 'Arry and Bert, who laugh at Percy's whistle. Percy is determined to show the diesels that his whistle is just as good as their horns. As Percy puffs through the countryside, he practices whistling loudly. Later, he goes back to the quarry and sneaks up behind 'Arry and Bert. He blows a great toot on his whistle, which startles the two diesels.

Now that he has a super-loud whistle, Percy cannot wait to use it again. When he sees Thomas shunting trucks in a siding, he blows another loud whistle. Thomas jumps forwards and biffs into his trucks, making him very cross, but Percy is too busy having fun to notice. Later, when he sees Bertie, Percy lets off another loud whistle, startling Bertie as he swerves across the road and into a snowy ditch, also making him cross as well, but Percy does not realise this.

That evening, Thomas tells Percy about all the trouble he had caused that day. Percy apologises and promises never to do it again, but the next day, while steaming through the countryside with the milk train, he wishes that he could have only one last loud toot on his whistle. Percy does not see anyone about, but he does not know that Trevor is delivering food to feed some sheep on the hill above. Percy's loud whistle startles him and Trevor jolts backward, which knocks a log down the hill. The log collects snow and turns into a giant snowball as it rolls down and crashes into Percy at the bottom of the hill. Luckily, no one is hurt, but Percy's driver is cross, saying that he has to go for help.

Soon, the Fat Controller arrives on board Thomas, who was the most cross at Percy, and tells him that whistles are for safety, not just for playing games. Percy promises to only use his whistle when the time is right. The next day, Percy is a very quiet engine. But, as he comes out of a tunnel, he spies a snowdrift on the line. Then, he hears Thomas approaching with Annie and Clarabel. Percy blows a warning whistle and Thomas grinds to a halt just in the nick of time. Percy is praised by the Fat Controller and now only uses his whistle responsibly.

Characters

Locations

Trivia

  • The opening shot of the episode reuses extended stock footage from the seventh series episode, Snow Engine.
  • When the episode was first released on DVD in the UK and US, Bertie's eyes are animated using CGI after he crashes.
  • In the All Aboard with the Steam Team UK DVD and US dub (except for the PBS airing), the chuffing sounds and James' whistle when he and Henry pass each other are different. Also, in the UK DVD, when Percy whistles a second time at the end of the episode, his whistle is a long note.
  • In the long shots of Percy blowing his whistle, the steam coming from his whistle use CGI.
  • This marks the first appearance of the Rail Under Road Bridge and Signalbox since Thomas and the Magic Railroad, and its first appearance in an episode since the first series episode, Down the Mine.
  • In the All Aboard with the Steam Team DVD and the Nick Jr. UK airing, Sounds, the timing of a few lines are different:
    • Percy's driver saying "Now I will have to go for help," is played earlier.
    • The narrator saying "Percy waited in the cold. His funnel was freezing and his axles were shivering" is played later.
    • The narrator saying "At last Thomas arrived with the Fat Controller" is heard later while "He was very cross indeed" is played earlier.
    • Thomas saying "Cinders and Ashes, thank you, Percy!" is played earlier.
  • Bert's horn is a stock truck horn sound effect.
  • This episode marks the first appearance of Percy's yawning face since the fifth series episode, Baa!.
  • Percy has been given a second wincing face, which only appears in this episode.
  • This was the very first time that steam engines are addressed as "steamies," which would become used more often later on in the series.
  • A deleted scene shows Percy pulling the mail train past the watermill.
  • Another deleted scene shows Thomas smiling after he pulls up alongside Percy with the breakdown train at the same direction Percy was on.

Goofs

  • When James blows his whistle, the steam is emitting from his dome, not his whistle.
  • Salty has Diesel's horn sound.
  • The quarry is mistakenly referred to as the Smelter's Yard at the start of the episode.
  • In a close shot of 'Arry and Bert, gears are visible on Bert's front axle.
  • 'Arry and Bert start to shake before Percy blasts his whistle at them. Bert's face is also crooked in this scene.
  • In a close up of Percy's whistle blowing at 'Arry and Bert, it still looks as though Percy is moving, even though he stopped alongside the two diesels.
  • When Trevor backs into the logs, his drive wheels are not moving.
  • It is said that Trevor's trailer hit the logs, but it is really his coal bunker that hit the logs, and he is also not pulling his trailer.
  • When the two logs roll away, the ground moves.
  • When Percy saves Thomas from running into the snowdrift, Thomas' mouth was covered in snow, but in the next scene, it later disappears.
  • In the half-hour airing, Sounds, Paul Larson and Abi Grant are erroneously credited for writing this episode instead of James Mason.
  • At the start, Clarabel's roof is damaged.
  • In the close-up of the Fat Controller, the yellow stripe around Thomas's cab is peeling off a bit.
  • Thomas' eyes are misaligned when he first talks to Percy at the sheds.
  • Percy's eyes are misaligned in many scenes in this episode.
  • When the narrator says "Now that he had a super loud whistle," Percy hits a bush close to the tracks.

Merchandise

In Other Languages

View content
Language Title
Brazilian Portuguese O apito novo de Percy
Chinese Mandarin 培西的新汽笛
Croatian Perina Nova Fućkaljka
Czech Percyho Nová Píšťala
Danish Percys Nye Fløjte
Dutch Percy’s Nieuwe Fluitsignaal
Finnish Pekan Uusi Vilehys
German Percy wird laut
Greek Η καινούρια σφυρίχτρα του Τζέρι
Hungarian Percy Fütyül
Italian Il nuovo fischio di Percy
Japanese パーシーときてき
Korean 퍼시의 기적 소리
Latin American Spanish El nuevo silbato de Percy
Norwegian Percys Nye Fløyte
Polish Nowy Gwizdek Piotrka
Romanian Fluierul Cel Nou al lui Percy
Russian Новый гудок Перси
Scottish Gaelic An Fheadag ur air Pearsdaih
Serbian Persijeva Nova Sirena
Spanish El nuevo silbido de Percy
Swedish Percys Vissla

Home Media Releases

UK

DVD Boxsets

AUS

  • All Aboard with the Steam Team (Direct-to-Home Video)
  • The Complete Series 8

DVD Boxsets

US/CAN

US/CAN VHS/DVD Boxsets

ZA

ZA DVD Boxsets

IND

MYS

SPN

SPN DVD Boxset

ROM

ROM DVD Packs

GER

NL

SWE/DK

NOR

FIN

HUN

HUN DVD Boxset

CZ

POL

GRC

IDN

JPN

KOR

HK

THA

TWN


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