Disappearing Diesels

"I'm a truck load of sausages! Ha ha ha!" "Sausages? Diesel, wait! Come back!" "Oh, what do you want to go chasing after him for?" "He's my friend!" "Is he really?'"

- Diesel, Paxton and Reg

Disappearing Diesels is the fourth episode of the eighteenth season.

Plot
Some of the diesels on the Island of Sodor can be very troublesome, but not Paxton. He is friends with everyone whether they work at Brendam Docks or the Blue Mountain Quarry. The engine Paxton has to try his hardest to make friends with is Diesel himself. Diesel is not a very friendly engine at all.

One day, Diesel arrives at the Dieselworks and tells all the other diesels there to hide from Paxton as a joke. Paxton arrives and looks all over the Dieselworks, but he cannot find his friends anywhere. Paxton comes to the conclusion that something is making the diesels on Sodor disappear. Paxton leaves to see if he can find any diesels on Sodor. After he has gone, Sidney, Den and Dart tell Diesel that they think they have all taken the joke too far. Diesel disagrees and insists that jokes are funny.

Paxton does not think the situation is a joke at all. He clatters up to the Blue Mountain Quarry to ask if there are any diesels there. Rusty calls out to him, but Paxton does not hear him as he is already rolling away to try somewhere else. At Knapford Station, Paxton asks if Thomas has seen any diesel engines. Thomas says he can see Paxton, but Paxton tells him it is the other diesels that have disappeared. Paxton leaves Thomas rather confused.

At Brendam Docks, Paxton clatters in and asks if Cranky has seen Salty. Cranky thinks Paxton is talking nonsense and tells him that Salty passed by five minutes ago. Just then, Salty rattles up and Paxton is delighted to see him. Salty thinks Paxton is burning fuel over nothing and assures the worried diesel that his friends will turn up by the end of the day. Just then, Cranky announces that Diesel has arrived with a delivery. Much to Diesel's annoyance, Paxton spots him. Diesel races away with Paxton in hot pursuit.

Diesel pulls into a siding behind some trucks at the scrapyards. Paxton arrives and asks Reg if Diesel is there. Diesel answers, pretending to be Reg, but Paxton does not fall for the trick and Diesel races away once again. Reg is confused as to why Paxton would bother chasing after silly Diesel, but Paxton insists that Diesel is his friend.

Diesel is having so much fun tricking Paxton that he decides to head to the quarry to hide there. Unfortunately, as soon as Diesel pulls off the main line, his engine starts to cough and splutter. Paxton races up and Diesel admits that he had only been teasing him all along. Paxton is confused; the middle of the line is not a very good place to hide. Diesel says that he is no longer hiding, he has run out of diesel fuel. Despite all the worry Diesel has caused Paxton, Paxton still helps by pushing Diesel to the next station to refill.

Diesel is not sure what to make of the situation; why is Paxton being so kind to him? He does not say thank you, but he does ask Paxton why he has helped him. Paxton just smiles and says that is what friends are for.

That evening, Paxton is delighted to see all of the diesels back at the dieselworks. Shortly afterwards, Diesel arrives and pulls into the berth beside Paxton. Diesel still does not manage to say thank you, but he does give Paxton a friendly smile and that is good enough for Paxton.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Percy
 * Diesel
 * Salty
 * Den
 * Dart
 * Paxton
 * Sidney
 * Skarloey
 * Rusty
 * Cranky
 * Reg
 * Porter (does not speak)
 * Henry (cameo)
 * James (cameo)
 * Stanley (cameo)
 * Norman (cameo)
 * Rheneas (cameo)
 * Sir Handel (cameo)
 * Peter Sam (cameo)
 * Annie and Clarabel (cameo)
 * Bertie (cameo)
 * Owen (cameo)
 * Toby (indirectly mentioned in the Italian version)

Locations

 * Shunting Yards
 * Blue Mountain Quarry
 * Vicarstown Dieselworks
 * Kirk Ronan Junction
 * Knapford
 * Brendam Docks
 * Sodor Shipping Company
 * Kellsthorpe
 * Crocks Scrap Yard

Trivia

 * This episode was released before the release of Tale of the Brave, so the audience may not have known who Reg was.
 * This episode marks the first appearance of Crocks Scrap Yard since the third season.
 * Tim Whitnall joins the voice cast.

Goofs

 * At the end, as Diesel backs into the berth beside Paxton, Sidney is missing his wheels and appears to be floating.
 * In the close up of Paxton on the turntable near the end of the episode, the turntable does not move, only Paxton does.
 * In the first shot of the Blue Mountain Quarry, Rheneas is on standard gauge tracks.
 * When Paxton changes tracks and buffers up behind Diesel, the points on Diesel's side of the junction are set against him.
 * When Paxton first comes into the Dieselworks, one of the cement blocks of the refueling station is missing.
 * When Paxton returns to the Dieselworks, Norman and Sidney's faces are frozen.
 * The Italian title mentions Toby, but Toby is not in the episode.

Merchandise

 * Magazine Stories - The Kind Diesel

Home Media Releases
{{Scroll box|

UK

 * The Complete Eighteenth Series (coming soon)
 * Trouble on the Tracks

DVD Packs

 * 10 DVD Boxset (2015)

US

 * Trouble on the Tracks
 * Season 18 (Digital Download)

AUS

 * Trouble on the Tracks

Thailand

 * Not So Slow Coaches

China
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 * Disappearing Diesels