Class 40

"Not bad. I've seen worse. At least you're all clean."

- The Diesel, Bowled Out, fourth season

    The Diesel    The Diesel, also known as Class 40, D4711 (in the Railway Series) and D261 (in the TV series), or simply Diesel is a diesel who once came to the North Western Railway on loan from the Other Railway.
 * Number: D4711 (Railway Series), D261 (Television Series)
 * Class: BR Class 40
 * Designer: British Railways
 * Builder: Vulcan Foundry or Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns
 * Built 1958-62
 * Configuration: 1Co-Co1

Bio
The Diesel was built at the Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Meadows, Lancashire, England. The Diesel was sent to Sodor in 1962 to assist the engines with goods and express work during Stepney's visit, but he only insulted the other engines by saying they were out-of-date, and bragged about his modernity. He got his comeuppance when an inspector's bowler hat jammed in his air intake, leaving Duck and Stepney to take the Express for him.

While everyone was fare-welling Stepney, the Diesel crept away, leaving behind "a rather nasty smell of bad manners and a battered bowler hat".

Persona
The Diesel is snobbish and rude, believing that Diesel engines should take over from steam engines. Despite this, in the magazine stories, there are some occasions in which the Diesel helps the steam engines.

Basis
The Diesel is based on a BR Class 40 1Co-Co1. Another member of this class is Old Stuck-Up.

Livery
The Diesel is painted in British Railway's two-tone green livery with a black roof and yellow warning panels.

Appearances
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Railway Series

 * Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine

Television series

 * Season 4 - Rusty to the Rescue (cameo) and Bowled Out

He also cameoed in one fifth season episode and one seventh season song.

Magazine stories

 * 1997 - Rusty the Diesel
 * 2001 - Diesel Day!
 * 2002 - Just Right, and Dusty Diesel!
 * 2003 - The Big Hero
 * 2006 - Heavy Load and Sounds Better
 * 2008 - Superhero! and Left Alone (cameo)
 * 2010 - Proud Puffers
 * 2011 - Team Effort
 * 2012 - Tender Trouble, Team Effort!, Story Time with Thomas and The Railway Show (mentioned)

The Diesel also appeared in the magazine stories, Blowing About!, Diesel Display, and Rusty and the Cheeky Boys.

He also appeared in the My Thomas Story Library book, Oliver. }}

Voice Actors

 * Michio Nakao (Japan)

Trivia

 * The Diesel's television series number belonged to a real Class 40. The real D261 entered service on the 26th of February, 1960 and withdrawn from service in 1983.
 * According to the description on the Australian/New Zealand VHS Thomas and the Special Letter and other stories, the Diesel was brought to Sodor to take over Daisy's work while she was ill.
 * The Diesel was the final Railway Series engine to be introduced to the television series until Glynn in The Adventure Begins.
 * His Hornby model depicts him as a Class 37 Diesel.

Merchandise

 * ERTL (discontinued)
 * Wooden Railway (discontinued)
 * Hornby (Re-used Class 37 Diesel tooling; labelled as Diesel; discontinued)
 * Brio (discontinued)
 * Thomas Engine Collection Series (discontinued)
 * Nakayoshi (discontinued)
 * Take-n-Play (labelled as Class 40)
 * Trading Cards (discontinued)
 * De Agostini (discontinued)