| This article is about 'the episode'. You may be looking for 'the Buzz Book , the magazine story or the character with a similar name'. |
- “It's a what'll?"
"A Diseasel, I think. There's a notice about them in our shed."
"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 season. In the US it first aired on the Shining Time Station episode, Double Trouble in 1991.
Plot
Bill and Ben are tank engine twins who work at a china clay quarry. Their jobs are to take the china clay in trucks along the main line for engines and ships.
One day, Bill and Ben arrange some trucks and leave to pick up more, but return to find them gone. Their drivers find a patch of oil on the ground and realise a diesel is responsible for taking the trucks. Mishearing this as "diseasel," the twins argue who is responsible stating that "coughs and sneezles spread diseasels." The drivers stop the twins from arguing and make a plan to get the trucks back which involves removing the twins identifying plates and making them identical.
The twins find the trucks in a yard, with a large green diesel at the front. Ben hides behind, with Bill going forward to demand the trucks back. The diesel claims the trucks are his and tries to shoo Bill away, but when Bill disappears Ben rides forward surprising the diesel (thinking it's the same engine). This continues for a while, causing the diesel to get dizzy. The twins then reveal themselves to him.
Edward arrives at the scene and asks what Bill and Ben are doing there. They explain that the "dieseasel" 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 Bill and Ben's. Edward then sends the twins to pick up BoCo's trucks.
After the two leave, Edward tells BoCo that Bill and Ben do not mean any harm but can be maddening at times. BoCo laughs and replies that "maddening is the word."
Characters
Locations
Trivia
- This episode is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, Main Line Engines.
- As Bill and Ben puff into the shed near BoCo's train, to the left of the shed, there is a soup can in the foreground.
- One barge has "Steve" written on it and a boat is labelled "Terrey." This could be a reference to crew members Stephen Asquith and Terence Permane.
- This is the first time and only time until Journey Beyond Sodor where an engine's basis is mentioned.
Goofs
- One of Bill and Ben's drivers says "We'll take away your names and numbers," but the twins were not given numbers in the television series. This is likely due to the script for the episode being nearly identical word-for-word to the original story.
- In the restored version, two hands can be seen pulling them backwards with string. Also, the end of the set can be seen in a still from the episode.
- Bill and Ben are said to puff into the shed behind BoCo when they actually are in the shed next to him.
- The narrator says Ben (on BoCo's right) went forward, but he goes to the left in the next shot.
- When Bill comes up next to BoCo, studio equipment is visible on the right.
- When the narrator says "Bill took his place," the track where Ben was previously bounces up.
- When Edward arrives, his bogie is derailed.
- 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.
- During the scene where the twins are puffing backwards and forwards to trick BoCo, they both have the same whistle sound despite usually having different whistles.
- In the shot showing Bill and Ben's cabs, a camera shadow is visible on one of them.
- In the final shot, Edward's whistle is bent.
Merchandise
- Buzz Books - BoCo the Diseasel
- Magazine Stories - BoCo the Diseasel
- Ladybird Books - Thomas Comes to Breakfast and BoCo the Diseasel
- My Thomas Story Library - BoCo (discontinued)
In Other Languages
| View content | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home Media Releases
| #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 | ||