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- “Coughs and sneezles spread diseasels."
"You had a cough in your smokebox yesterday. It's your fault the diseasel came."
"It isn't!"
"It is!” - ― Bill and Ben
The Diseasel is the twenty-first episode of the second series. It is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book Main Line Engines.
Plot
Bill and Ben are tank engine twins who each have four wheels, a short funnel, a tiny dome and a small cab. They work at a china clay quarry and their jobs are to take it in trucks along the Main Line for the engines and the harbour ships. The clay is used to make many things, such as pottery, paper and paint.
The twins arrange some trucks one morning and leave to pick up more but they are surprised to find they have disappeared when they return. Their drivers notice an oil patch on the tracks and suspect that a diesel is responsible for taking the trucks. Mishearing this as "diseasel", the twins remember a notice in their shed saying "coughs and sneezles spread diseasels" and they argue over who is responsible. Their drivers intervene and make a plan to get the trucks back which involves removing the twins' nameplates to make them appear perfectly identical since the diesel is unaware that they are twins.
The twins find the trucks in a yard, with a large green diesel at the front who is very angry. Ben hides behind while Bill goes forward and demands the diesel give his trucks back. The diesel claims the trucks are his and tries to shoo Bill away, who reverses behind the trucks. Ben then rides forward on the other side, confusing the diesel (who thinks it is the same engine). This pattern goes on and on for ages, causing the diesel to get surprised and dizzy. At last, the two of them come along the diesel at the same time, making his eyes nearly pop out. He then realises there are two engines.
Edward arrives at the scene and asks Bill and Ben what they are doing there. They claim that the diesel stole their trucks but Edward scolds them for their rudeness. The twins apologise and the diesel forgives them. He introduces himself as "BoCo" and explains that he got his trucks mixed up with the twins'. Edward then sends the twins to take their lot back once they have picked up BoCo's goods train in exchange for theirs. After they leave, Edward tells BoCo that they do not mean any harm but can be maddening at times, a statement BoCo wholeheartedly agrees with.
Characters
Locations
Trivia
- The title is a portmanteau of the words disease and diesel. In some foreign dubs, the portmanteau was not able to be properly translated and the title was simply translated as "Diesel".
- One barge has "Steve" written on it and a boat is labelled "Terrey". This could be a reference to crew members:
- first assistant director Stephen Asquith.
- lighting cameraman Terence Permane.
- The events of this episode were later mentioned by BoCo in the third series episode Buzz, Buzz.
- This episode marks a few things:
- The first and only time until the 2017 special Journey Beyond Sodor when an engine's basis is mentioned.
- The first appearance of BoCo.
- The only episode where BoCo's shocked face is used.
- The first episode in which Bill and Ben are referred to by name, having been unnamed in their first appearance, Percy Takes the Plunge.
- The last appearance of Suddery Junction until the twenty-first series episode A Shed for Edward.
- This episode is one of the few instances in which every character who appears speaks.
- In the restored version's long distance shot of the twins at the harbour, the track that sunk into the sea can still be seen facing downward.
- This episode is titled "The Diseasal" on the Shining Time Station airing of Double Trouble and it is also titled "The Diesels" on the Roku Channel.
- This episode was never released on home video in the Netherlands, Finland or South Korea. For unknown reasons, it is the only episode from the first four series which was not released on DVD in the Netherlands.
- This episode was shown alongside the third series episode One Good Turn in an episode of Storytime with Thomas.
- Both episodes, coincidentally, feature Bill and Ben as spotlight characters.
Goofs
- For most of the episode, studio equipment can be seen:
- On the top of the screen, where a crew member's hands are seen trying to catch Bill and Ben's models from falling off the edge of the set in the restored version with the scene of Bill and Ben puffing away to fetch more China Clay.
- At the top of the screen when Bill and Ben puff through the level crossing and Wellsworth Station.
- On the right when Bill comes up next to BoCo.
- Reflecting on BoCo's windows.
- In the shot showing Bill and Ben's cabs, a camera shadow is visible on one of them.
- Due to portions of the script being taken verbatim from the original book, the narrator says that:
- It is said that Bill and Ben went away for more trucks but, when they return, they don't have any with them.
- The twins' drivers said they will take away the names and numbers but the twins were not given numbers in the television series. However, production images from Series 2 reveal that Bill and Ben originally had numbers above their faces like their book counterparts, so it is possible that the script was written before their numbers were removed and never changed.
- Ben hid behind while Bill rolled up alongside Boco but it was the other way around. The twins pull into the wooden shed when they first come into in Edward's yard, which is further away than BoCo.
- In the close-ups of BoCo looking cross in the restored version, there is greenery behind him rather than the yard.
- In the US narration, George Carlin mistakenly says that Bill pretended not to be frightened.
- During the twins' trick:
- BoCo's eyebrows are missing.
- The track Bill is on also bounces up.
- BoCo always looks at Ben whenever he comes and just stares ahead whenever Bill comes.
- When Edward arrives, his bogie is derailed and steam is also still coming out of his funnel.
- When the twins apologise to BoCo, Edward disappears, indicating that the footage from where Bill was accusing BoCo of being a bully was used at that point.
- In the final shot, Edward's whistle is bent.
In Other Languages
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Merchandise
- Buzz Book - BoCo the Diseasel
- Ladybird book - Thomas Comes to Breakfast and BoCo the Diseasel
- My Thomas Story Library book - BoCo
- Magazine story - BoCo the Diseasel
Home Video Releases
Episode
English
UK narrationOther Languages
Russian dubReferences
| #01 Thomas, Percy and the Coal | #10 The Runaway | #19 Daisy |
| #02 Cows | #11 Percy Takes the Plunge | #20 Percy's Predicament |
| #03 Bertie's Chase | #12 Pop Goes the Diesel | #21 The Diseasel |
| #04 Saved from Scrap | #13 Dirty Work | #22 Wrong Road |
| #05 Old Iron | #14 A Close Shave | #23 Edward's Exploit |
| #06 Thomas and Trevor | #15 Better Late than Never | #24 Ghost Train |
| #07 Percy and the Signal | #16 Break Van | #25 Woolly Bear |
| #08 Duck Takes Charge | #17 The Deputation | #26 Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree |
| #09 Percy and Harold | #18 Thomas Comes to Breakfast | Cancelled: The Missing Coach |
| Cancelled: Gordon Goes Foreign | ||