Percy

Percy is a green saddle tank engine working on the North Western Railway. He is good friends with Thomas (despite a lot of arguments), Toby, Duck and Mavis.

History
Percy was most likely built by the Avonside Engine Company sometime after the turn of the century and had a subsequent rebuild in the period before he was sold secondhand 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, Sir Topham Hatt 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.

When Henry came back from his rebuild, Percy was the only Engine (other than Edward later on) to defend the Green Engine. On a cold day, Percy became hissy and wanted a scarf. Henry tried to call Percy "silly", but Percy retorted with a better come back and left before Henry could answer. Later Percy ran into a trolley, and got covered in jam and passengers luggage. When Toby arrived, he and Percy soon became friends, which only strengthened when James had a crash into some tar wagons and they made fun of them.

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 reccognise 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.

With Duck's arrival, Percy was sent to Thomas' Branch Line to help build Knapford Harbour and has stayed there ever since as a goods engine. He met a self-centered white helicopter named Harold who said that railways were "slow and out-of-date", so Percy decided to race him and won. When Percy had to take the Sunday School children home, he came across a flooded paddock which swashed away his fire. Thankfully, he got some help from Harold (who dropped supplies of hot drinks for his crew and the passengers) and was able to get the children home.

Despite being really useful, Percy was prone to having accidents were due to him sometimes acting naughty or being careless. He was naughty when he asked the trucks to push him past a danger notice, only to end up in the water until he could be lifted out and taken to the works by Henry. Later after that, he was among the eight famous Engines to go to London for a short while, returning soon after words.

He later joined the Deputation the Engines had to keep the twins around. He was sent to speak to the Fat Controller by the other engines. Percy spoke to the Fat Controller about Donald and Douglas and how the Engines didn't want them to be sent away because they liked them so much, which was one of the reasons the Fat Controller kept the Scottish Twins.

When a diesel railcar named Daisy came to look after Thomas' Branch Line, she constantly kept leaving behind the milk van every time Percy shunted it for her. Fed up with taking the milk for her, Percy offered to take Toby's trucks for him while he took the milk. However, the trucks were unfamiliar with Percy and when he ordered them about, they decided to seek revenge by pushing him onto a line of stone trucks that caused an awkward predicament. Percy was sent for a rebuild and returned shortly after words. He later told one of the Twin Engines about Stepney, and helped Stepney on the line when he arrived. Percy later lend Stepney his Trucks.

Percy's Driver told the small engine a ghost story, and Percy would later tell Thomas about the Ghost, but Thomas belittled him. Percy later payed Thomas back, and spoked him for days. In the Summer, Percy was covered in treacle and hay.

Trivia

 * The Rev. W. Awdry was reportedly very unhappy with how Reginald Dalby drew Percy, calling him a "Green Caterpiller with red stripes". This line of diolauge would later be put into Tramway Engines.
 * Percy is the only Engine who is known on record to be named by Sir Topham Hatt.
 * He was the 1st Character to have 4 wheels.
 * It could be argued that Percy was responsible for the Twins staying on the Railway, due to him telling the Fat Controller about the Deputation the Engines had.
 * Percy was featured on the 1986 single cover along with Rheneas of Oh L'amour, a song by English synthpop duo Erasure.
 * Percy was the first character to have toys made of him with the company Meccano releasing an O gauge clockwork Percy set in 1965.
 * He is one of the few characters created by Wilbert Awdry who is not precisely based on a real engine.