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- "Is that all you can haul? Henry's loads are longer! Is that all you can haul? Henry must be stronger!"
- ― The Troublesome Trucks teasing Diesel
The World's Strongest Engine is the eleventh episode of the sixth series.
Plot
Henry has had an accident pulling a goods train thanks to some Troublesome Trucks and is sent to the works to be mended and the Fat Controller tells the engines that Diesel is the only spare engine available. The engines are not very happy about this, knowing how much trouble Diesel is. Percy and Thomas both hope that Henry is mended soon, claiming he moves more trucks than three diesels put together, while Gordon declares that trucks are no-one's friends.
The next day, as Diesel is working at the docks, he brags to the trucks that the Fat Controller will get rid of steam engines completely once he sees how good Diesel is at shunting trucks. The Troublesome Trucks suddenly have an idea; they begin to tease Diesel, saying how Henry can move more trucks than he can shunt. This makes Diesel cross, so he decides that he will push them all at the same time, claiming himself as the world's strongest engine, with Thomas and Percy watching him.
"Grease and oil!"
Diesel soon arranges a huge line of twenty trucks and couples up to them. But, unbeknownst to him, a shunter has put the brakes on the trucks which they know but still encourage Diesel to push them anyway. But with his efforts to push them, the trucks do not move, so he decides to pull them instead. As he pulls, the trucks sing at him, making Diesel very furious. He pulls even harder but he pulls so hard that he breaks his coupling from the strain and he runs out of control, falling off the quay and landing onto a barge containing flour bags. Diesel is shocked and humiliated by the predicament, as all the trucks laugh at him.
Henry, who is now repaired, arrives at the docks with the Fat Controller, who is very cross with Diesel and sends him home in disgrace. He asks Henry to make up for lost time and Henry reverses to the trucks. After the shunter releases the brakes, Henry pulls away from the docks, pulling the line of trucks easily and the engines all cheer. Thomas and Percy agree that even trucks can be helpful to the engines sometimes, such as helping to get rid of Diesel.
Characters
- Thomas
- Henry
- Gordon
- Percy
- Diesel
- Troublesome Trucks
- Sir Topham Hatt
- James (cameo)
- Duck (cameo)
- Oliver (cameo)
- Annie and Clarabel (cameos)
- Farmer Trotter (cameo)
- Sir Topham Hatt's Brown-haired Assistant (cameo)
- The Storyteller (cameo)
- Farmer Collett (cameo)
- Big Mickey (faceless; cameo)
- Salty (deleted scene cameo)
Locations
- Callan
- Gordon's Hill
- Tidmouth Sheds
- Brendam Docks
- Sodor Slate Quarry (flashback)
Trivia
- This episode may have been inspired by the 1997 magazine story Showing Off.
- Some shots of Diesel attempting to move the trucks are sped up.
- Diesel's theme in this episode was released on Junior Campbell's official YouTube channel on 3 April 2021[1].
- Additionally, in the upload, there was a musical ditty intended to be played during the scene where the Troublesome Trucks say, "Push us all! That's the longest! Push us all! You'll be the strongest!" which was muted in all versions.
- This episode marks several things for Diesel:
- The first time his siderods are black instead of silver.
- His first individual speaking role and the first time he is referred to by name since the third series episode, Tender Engines.
- His first leading role since the third series episode, Diesel Does it Again.
- His first appearance since the fourth series episode, Rusty to the Rescue, not counting his deleted scene appearance in the fifth series episode, Cranky Bugs.
- His only appearance in the sixth series and to be narrated by Alec Baldwin.
- His first derailment/accident.
- The first time his third series snarling face is used on-screen.
- The only time he is voiced by Hisao Egawa in Japan, instead of Daisuke Gōri.
- The latter would return to voice Diesel full time starting with the seventh series episode, Fergus Breaks the Rules until the eighth series.
- His second time trying to pull a line of trucks with the brakes on, the first being in the second series episode Pop Goes the Diesel, his debut episode.
- The last time he was sent away from Sodor. From the seventh series onwards, it was reported that he permanently became one of the Fat Controller's engines on Sodor.
- His last leading role as the main character in the Classic Series and the last one until the fourteenth series episode, Diesel's Special Delivery.
- This is the second time the narrator says the phrase "confusion and delay", after the episode Cranky Bugs. But it is the third time it was said overall, as in the fifth series episode Oliver's Find it was said by a character.
- The shot of Diesel bragging to himself when he arrives at the docks was filmed in a 4:3 aspect ratio, as opposed to the 16:9 aspect ratio the rest of the episode was filmed in.
- In both English dubs, the recording of Diesel's shout "HELP!" as he falls off the quay was later used for Duncan in the same series for the episode, Dunkin Duncan.
- In addition, the final recording of "And he pulled" in both English dubs is repeated once before Diesel breaks the chain.
- The pupils on the face for one salt van are actually pieces of tape.
- In the book adaptation, Diesel and the Troublesome Trucks, it is said that Diesel crashed in Bulstrode the barge.
- A deleted scene implies that Salty was supposed to have a role in this episode.
- This episode marks Henry's only major role in the sixth series.
- The trucks sing rudely to Diesel in different tunes in the respective UK and US dubs.
- This marks the last episode to feature:
- NER Vans and Cattle Trucks with faces.
- Salt Vans with larger faces.
Goofs
- In the first scene, Clarabel is facing the wrong way.
- Oliver and Duck have the same whistle sound.
- One of the workmen who comes to rescue Henry is tilted.
- At Tidmouth Sheds, the buffers behind Thomas are resting on top of the rails.
- In the close-up of Diesel going in between the trucks bragging to them, studio equipment is visible on his left.
- When the trucks sing "Push us all, that's the longest!" the cattle truck has a dented roof.
- Diesel starts with three trucks and adds five more, but the narrator says he starts with five.
- After shunting the trucks, Diesel runs on the third line, but he should have travelled on the first line; the next scene shows the third line is blocked by the trucks.
- After the trucks shout "Push! Push! Push!" steam is seen going into Thomas, indicating reversed footage.
- When Diesel pushes the trucks back, his side rods are going forwards.
- When the Fat Controller looks down at Diesel, there appears to be a rip in his suit due to his model being reused from Lady Hatt's Birthday Party. In the same shot, the edge of the tank housing the harbour water can also be seen.
- When Diesel gets very cross that he cannot pull the trucks, his face moves slightly when he rolls his eyes.
- During the final scene with Thomas and Percy, both of their roofs are crooked.
- When the narrator says, "then fifteen", Diesel jumps backwards from one spot to another, indicating a film cut.
- When the narrator says, "This made Diesel very cross!" Diesel's face moves a bit.
- When Henry leaves the docks, the leading two trucks are cattle trucks, even though two vans were in front of them when Diesel had shunted them all together.
- In the first shot of Diesel at Brendam, he passes the cruise ship moored at the docks. But in the next shot, he passes it again. Also, the trucks are arranged differently in the two shots.
- While Thomas is observing Diesel shunting his trucks, his eyes are misaligned.
- Gordon's Express is in the wrong way; the brake coach is at the front.
Quotes
- Gordon: Trucks are no one's friends.
- Diesel: When the Fat Controller sees how good I am, he'll get rid of steam engines once and for all!
In Other Languages
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Merchandise
- Book - Diesel and the Troublesome Trucks
- Magazine stories - More Mischief! and Sodor's Strongest Engine
Home Video Releases
UKUK DVD Boxsets
WALUS
CAN
US/CAN DVD BoxsetAUSAUS DVD Packs
MYSPHLITANORSWE/DKSVNTHAJPNKORHK
TWN |
Episode
Reference
| #01 Salty's Secret | #10 Twin Trouble | #19 Buffer Bother |
| #02 Harvey to the Rescue | #11 The World's Strongest Engine | #20 Toby Had a Little Lamb |
| #03 No Sleep for Cranky | #12 Scaredy Engines | #21 Thomas, Percy and the Squeak |
| #04 A Bad Day for Harold the Helicopter | #13 Percy and the Haunted Mine | #22 Thomas the Jet Engine |
| #05 Elizabeth the Vintage Lorry | #14 Middle Engine | #23 Edward the Very Useful Engine |
| #06 The Fogman | #15 James and the Red Balloon | #24 Dunkin Duncan |
| #07 Jack Jumps In | #16 Jack Frost | #25 Rusty Saves the Day |
| #08 A Friend in Need | #17 Gordon Takes a Tumble | #26 Faulty Whistles |
| #09 It's Only Snow | #18 Percy's Chocolate Crunch | |