Air date: September 5th, 2006 (UK), September 10th, 2006 (US)
Every year, the Fat Controller's funfair comes to Sodor much to the excitement of all of the children and engines, especially Percy. At Tidmouth Sheds, the Fat Controller gives the engines their jobs - Gordon is to take the fairground folk, Toby is to bring the bumper cars, Edward is to haul the carousel, Henry is to pull the roller coaster, James and Emily are to bring the Ferris wheel, and Thomas is to collect the fireworks and the Chinese dragon. Percy is hopeful that he will be given a special job but is informed by the Fat Controller, who tells him to deliver coal to all of the coal bunkers on the railway.
Percy is disappointed; he thinks that delivering coal is not an important job at all. After collecting the coal trucks, Percy sets off with his deliveries. However, whilst waiting at a red signal by a school, Percy sees Edward and Toby pass by. Thinking that helping his friends is much more important, Percy leaves his coal trucks behind.
However, neither Toby nor Edward needs Percy's help, nor do Emily, James, Henry, Gordon, or Thomas. After trying to help his friends, Percy quickly remembers that he had not delivered any of the coal. To make matters worse, James and Emily have run out of it. Percy realises how wrong he was to abandon his job, so he rushes off to collect his coal trucks.
Very soon, thanks to Percy, the coal bunkers are refilled, and all of the engines are on the move again. At last, the funfair is ready, and Percy arrives there just as the entertainment begins. Now Percy knows that delivering the coal is a very important job.
Tropes featured in the episode:
- Continuity Nod: Thomas' job for the funfair is to take the Chinese dragon.
- I Just Want to Be Special: Percy, who mopes that he's the only one of his friends who doesn't get to do a funfair-related job and is instead stuck pulling coal trucks.
- Leave Me Alone!: None of the engines want any help from Percy.
- Wrong Genre Savvy: Percy thinks that helping his friends is more important than his own job of delivering coal, but soon realises he was wrong after finding out that James and Emily ran out of coal.
