| For other uses, see Diesel. |
- “Not bad. I've seen worse. At least you're all clean.”
- ― Class 40
Class 40, also known as The Diesel, Diesel 261 or simply Diesel, is a big green diesel engine who once visited the North Western Railway on loan from the Other Railway.
Biography[]
Class 40 was brought to Sodor to help the other engines with goods and express work towards the end of Stepney's visit, but he only insulted the other engines by saying they were out-of-date, should be scrapped and bragged about how much better he supposedly was. Unfortunately for him, an inspector's bowler hat jammed his air intake, causing him to break down and to become as sick as boiler sludge after attempting to show off to Duck and Stepney. He sulked in the shed while Duck and Stepney took the Express for him to Crovan's Gate.
While everyone was fare-welling Stepney, a disgraced Class 40 crept away home, leaving behind "a rather nasty smell and a battered bowler hat".
Personality[]
Class 40 is snobbish, smug and rude with his snide remarks, believing that diesel engines are superior and should take over from steam engines while also showing off to engines such as Duck and Stepney. In the end, however, he would also show his cowardly side as shown when he slipped away after his embarrassing incident when no-one was looking. Despite this, in the magazine stories, there are some occasions in which Class 40 is polite and helps out the steam engines, even if he was reluctant.
Technical Details[]
Basis[]
Class 40 is based on a British Rail (BR) Class 40 1Co-Co1. The third diesel and Old Stuck-Up from The Railway Series are also members of this class. 200 members of this class was built from 1958 to 1962, and the last was withdrawn in 1985. They were given the nickname "Whistlers" because of the strange whistling noise their engines would make. Seven Class 40s are preserved with the first built, D200, at the National Railway Museum.
Class 40's number belonged to a real Class 40. The real D261 entered service on the 26th of February 1960, initially built with the 'disc' headcode marker. In 1965, it along with Nos. D260-D266 would then be converted with the 'central' headcode marker and were based in the Scottish Region. Sometime between 1965 and 1970 it was repainted into BR rail blue. In 1973 it was renumbered to 40061 under the TOPS system, until the engine was withdrawn from service in 1983 and scrapped at Crewe in March the following year.
Livery[]
Class 40 is painted in the BR Deep Bronze green livery. He has a thin, lighter green stripe running along his top, full yellow warning panels on his front and back end with his rooftop painted black and shining silver buffers as opposed to the regular grey buffers. His number is painted on his cab sides in yellow similar to The Railway Series illustration. Unlike The Railway Series, his face is grey like the other engines.
Appearances[]
Thomas & Friends
Music Videos
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Books
Magazine Stories
The Diesel also appeared in the magazine story, Blowing About!. Video Games
Video Releases
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Official Description[]
From Official Website:[1]
| “ | The Diesel: A snooty type of chap. Like all diesels, he thinks he knows it all, which gets up every steam engine's funnel. Despite his immense power, he soon finds out that nothing chuffs like a chuff chuff chuffs!
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” |
From Official Website:[2]
| “ | The Diesel: The Diesel is considered to be a little snooty by the other engines because of his "know-it-all" attitude, which "steams up" the steam engines. Despite his immense power, he soon finds out that nothing chuffs like a steam engine.
|
” |
From Official Website:[3]
| “ | The Diesel: Like all diesels, The Diesel thinks he knows it all. He thinks all Steamies should be replaced by Diesels. Despite his immense power, he finds out that even diesels need help!
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” |
Audio Files[]
Horn[]
| Only used | Sound Effect |
|---|---|
| Series 4 |
Trivia[]
- Class 40 is called "Diesel 261" in Japan.
- According to some VHS descriptions for the fourth series episode, Bowled Out, Class 40 was brought to Sodor to take over Daisy's work while she was ill.
- This would not be permitted in real-life, as the BR Class 40s were built for main line usage and would be too heavy to run on branch lines.
- Class 40's nameboard sequence has only appeared in Cranky Bugs and Other Thomas Stories and in the airings of Bowled Out in Japan.
- In the magazine story, Platform Picture, he is incorrectly referred to as "Derek the Diesel".
- Ironically, Class 40 and Derek share the same livery.
- His Hornby model depicts him as a Class 37 diesel which has an incorrect Co-Co wheel arrangement.
- In the Days Out with Thomas events, Class 40 wore Toad's face.
- Class 40's model used to be on display at Drayton Manor Theme Park with his speechless face before returning to storage in late 2022 when the old layout would be ripped up and a new one constructed elsewhere in the park.
- When the model was displayed at Drayton Manor Theme Park in 2021, the face fell off. This was fixed before the model was removed from the layout.
- The tenth series character prop checklist incorrectly call him "Diesel 140", while the twelfth series face reference sheets incorrectly call him "Diesel 40".
- Class 40's Take-n-Play model incorrectly depicts him with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement. This was likely due to the fact that the manufacturers could not depict him with his correct 1Co-Co1 arrangement. It also appears his side detailing was incorrectly based on that of a Class 37 diesel much like the Hornby model.
- His horn sound was reused for Mavis in the fourth series episode, Thomas and the Special Letter.
- Class 40 had a total of six facial expressions, one of which (a cross face) was never shown on-screen. However, his happy face is only on his face references from the fourth series, but not on his face references from the sixth and twelfth series. It is possible that his happy face was either lost or destroyed during or after filming of Thomas and the Magic Railroad.
- His engine sound is shared with BoCo from the fourth and fifth series, as well as Rusty, but only in the fourth series episode, Rusty to the Rescue.
- Interestingly, a few of his faces were based/inspired from the illustrations from Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine, most notable being his speechless face from the third illustration, his unused cross face from his seething face in the fourth illustration and his smiling face from his prideful face in the first illustration to some extent.
References[]
| Locomotives | Steam | City of Truro | Flying Scotsman | Spencer | Stephen's Competitors | Connor | Caitlin | Samson | Logan | Theo | Lexi | Hurricane | Merlin | Duchess | Flying Thistle | Thirteen |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | Class 40 | The Mainland Diesels | Frankie | |
| Rolling Stock | Connor's Coaches | Caitlin's Coaches | Bradford | |
| Non-Rail Vehicles | 040 BMC | Beresford | Tony | Mitchell | The Hawker Hurricane | |
| People | Elizabeth II | The Duke and Duchess of Boxford | The Thin Clergyman | The Fat Clergyman | Baz and Bernie | |
| Stations | Barrow-in-Furness | Brighton | Crewe | Victoria | |