The Works Diesel

The Works Diesel, anunnamed character once rescued James after a breakdown, and almost single-handedly changed James' opinion on diesels. He is a friendly sort who lives at Crovan's Gate and performs odd jobs around the railway. It is suggested in James and the Diesel Engines that he is one of a number of new diesels on the railway.

His first appearance was in James and the Diesel Engines, his next confirmed appearance was in Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree as the engine who collected the tree from The Other Railway. He then makes a cameo in [Henry and the Express, at Barrow. At first it was unclear if they were one and the same, but Christopher Awdry revealed that the diesel seen in all three books is the "Works Diesel".

He is loaned from British Rail, and is based on a Class 47 diesel. "Works Diesel" is a reader-applied name; he is unnamed in the stories themselves.