Diesel 199 (D199), nicknamed "Spamcan" and "Old Reliable", is a rude diesel engine from the Other Railway.
Biography
The Railway Series
Diesel 199 was built in the early 1960s at Derby Works. In 1967, he came on trial to Sodor with another diesel engine, Diesel 7101. D199 soon made himself an enemy of the steam engines when he claimed that "steam engines spoil our image". Vulgar noises greeted this, until Duck and D7101 managed to shut up D199.
The next day, D199 ironically failed with a train of fuel tankers at a signal box, blocking the crossing. Henry, whose regulator had already jammed, came to help. However, after D7101's ejector leaked, making him unable to pull his passenger train, Henry was asked to help him as well. Henry, with some help from 7101, was still able to move and bravely pulled 199, the oil-tankers and the passengers to the next station. The Fat Controller was not impressed, and Diesel 199 was soon sent home in disgrace. However, his companion Diesel 7101 was given a second chance.
In the magazines, Diesel 199, along with Class 40, returned to Sodor to celebrate "Diesel Day" with the other diesels.
Personality
D199 was pompous and rude, and sided with the general belief amongst diesels that steam engines are inferior to diesel power. He is blatantly arrogant, and enjoys bad-mouthing the steam engines. However, he earned the nickname "Spamcan" by a signalman after he failed pulling a train of oil-tankers, and he subsided when the signalman jokingly threatened to cut him up with a tin opener.
D199 thought he was more reliable than the steam engines. However, one day he broke down and quickly lost his nickname "Old Reliable". In fact, everyone was rather pleased when he was sent away from Sodor back to the Other Railway in Disgrace.
Technical Details
Basis
D199 is based on a BR Class 46 "Peak" 1Co-Co1. The Class 46s never made it up to D199. They were numbered between D138-D193. 56 of them were built from 1961 to 1963, and three of them are preserved.
Livery
D199 is painted in the British Railway's Rail Blue with yellow warning panels. His number, D199 is painted on the sides of his cab in white.
Appearances
The Railway Series
- Enterprising Engines - Super Rescue
- Henry and the Express - Out of Puff (indirectly mentioned)
Companion Volumes
- 1976 - Famous Engines
- 1979 - Annual
- 1980 - Annual
- 1987 - The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways (mentioned)
- 2005 - Sodor: Reading Between the Lines (mentioned)
Books
- 2008 - Thomas' Sticker Express
Magazine Stories
- 2001 - Diesel Day! (does not speak)
Video Releases
- 1995 - The Thomas the Tank Engine Man (cameo)
Trivia
- Diesel 199's rear cab has a headcode reading "AC 10".
- Diesel 199 was labelled as "199 Diesel" on the Official Website and his 1995 ERTL packaging.
- Diesel 199's ERTL toy was later recycled for Diesel 10's ERTL toy.
- Diesel 199 has appeared at many Day Out with Thomas events in the UK.
- Diesel 199 appeared in early Thomas & Friends magazines. His depiction was based on his ERTL toy as the red coupling was present.
- In Diesel 199's trading card promo, he is incorrectly depicted as a Co-Co.
- Diesel 199's class, along with the earlier Class 44 and Class 45, was given the nickname "Peak" because the 10 Class 44 diesels were named after British mountains.
- D199’s nickname, Spamcan, was also one of the nicknames for the Southern Railway’s Merchant Navy Class Pacific locomotives, in reference to their air smoothed casings (of which were eventually removed in the late 1950s), designed by Oliver Bulleid.
Merchandise
- ERTL (discontinued)
- Wooden Railway (reissued 2006 and 2013; discontinued)
- Take Along (discontinued)
- Take-n-Play (discontinued)
- Trading Cards (discontinued)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 RWS #23 "Enterprising Engines"