Air date: August 22nd, 2004 (UK), October 2nd, 2004 (US)
Percy is a very busy engine with many jobs to do, perhaps one too many jobs, as the workload often makes him late. One evening, Percy arrives late at Brendam Docks and the Dock Manager decides to tell the Fat Controller about Percy being late. When Percy arrives back at Tidmouth Sheds that evening, he hears the Fat Controller talking to his driver, though he tries to ignore it. When the Fat Controller mentions that "Percy must go to the scrapyard tomorrow", Percy is very worried; he quickly jumps to the conclusion that, due to his lateness, he is now going to be scrapped.
The next morning, Percy is frightened, though Thomas convinces him that he will not be scrapped as he is Really Useful. However, when Percy sees the time on the clock, he races out of the shed and goes to the Docks. At Brendam Docks, Percy is to collect some pipes, but Cranky is being slow and goes even slower when Percy orders him to hurry up. Once the pipes are in the trucks, Percy leaves too soon and does not wait for the pipes to be tied down. This makes them fall off the trucks, but Percy does not see this and delivers the empty trucks to Wellsworth Station. Then he collects some flatbeds with barrels full of tar to take to some workmen mending the road.
Percy pushes the flatbeds up and over Gordon's Hill, but he goes too fast. As a result, he can't stop in time and crashes into Gordon, spilling the barrels of tar all over him. Gordon is very cross at the mess, suggesting what the Fat Controller would think. Now Percy is convinced that he will be scrapped, so he runs away.
Soon Harvey clears up the mess and the Fat Controller arrives aboard Thomas. Gordon tells the Fat Controller that Percy ran away, and Thomas tells the Fat Controller what Percy said to him about being scrapped. Soon a search party for Percy is underway. Whilst looking around on his branch line, Thomas knows where Percy might be - Tidmouth Sheds. Soon Thomas arrives at Tidmouth Sheds, where Percy is hiding. Percy begs the Fat Controller not to scrap him, but the Fat Controller comforts Percy by revealing the truth; he had known that Percy was late because of the large amount of work he had been given and had felt sorry for him, so he decided to have Percy take some trucks to the scrapyard and then - as a break from his busy schedule - have him pull the mail for a whole week.
Percy is happy with his week-long mail run and promises himself that he will not jump to conclusions again.
Tropes featured in the episode:
- An Aesop: Don't jump to conclusions.
- Covered in Gunge: Gordon gets covered with tar after Percy crashes into him with his flatbeds of tar barrels.
- Out-of-Context Eavesdropping: Percy overhears the Fat Controller saying he needs to go to the scrapyard and thinks it means he is to be scrapped. In the end, he discovers that the Fat Controller actually said that Percy was working too hard recently, and so after taking some scrap metal to the Smelter's, he would be given the somewhat easier job of carrying the mail for a week.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Thomas gives Percy this encouragement:Thomas: The Fat Controller would never scrap a Really Useful Engine, and you, Percy, are a Really Useful Engine!
