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

— The Diesel, Bowled Out, fourth season

The Diesel
Number: D261 Class: BR Class 40 Designer: British Railways Builder: Vulcan Foundry Configuration: 1Co-Co1

The Diesel, also known as Class 40 and D261, is a Diesel who once came to the North Western Railway on loan from the Other Railway.

Contents 1 Persona 2 Bio 3 Basis 4 Livery 5 Appearances 5.1 Railway Series 5.2 Television series 5.3 Magazine stories 6 Trivia 7 Merchandise 8 Gallery

Persona

The Diesel is snobbish and rude, believing that Diesel engines should take over from steam engines.

Bio

The Diesel was built at the Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Meadows, Lancashire, England in the early 1960s. The Diesel was sent to Sodor in 1963 to assist the engines with goods and express work during Stepney's visit, but only insulted the other engines by saying they were out-of-date. 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 and a battered bowler hat".

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

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 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
• 2008 - Superhero!
• 2010 - Proud Puffers
• 2012 - Tender Trouble and The Railway Show (mentioned)

Trivia

• The Diesel's television series number is real. The real D261 was built in 1960 and withdrawn in 1983.

Merchandise

• ERTL (discontinued)
• Wooden Railway (discontinued)
• Hornby (with a Co-Co wheel arrangement; discontinued)
• Brio (discontinued)
• Bandai Tecs
• Nakayoshi (discontinued)

Gallery

Other Railways
98462 and 87546 • The Workshop Engines • The Foreign Engines • The Foreign Engine • The Derailed Engine • Jinty and Pug • The Diesel • The Scrapyard Engines • 199 • The Passing Diesel • Other Railway Diesels • King James I • Old Stuck-Up • Toby's Brothers • 8783 • The Old Engine • The Diesel Shunter • 31120 • 10751 • Wilbert • Sixteen • Sixteen's Friends • Albert • Bahamas • D5705 • Lemberg • Pretty Polly • British Railways
Lady • Spencer • Hiro • Hiro's Friends • The Mainland Engines
Silver Jubilee • Helena
Spencer's Special Coaches