The COMPLETE History of Devious Diesel - Sodor's Finest 

It's kind of strange how Diesel went from being a character that only appeared in one of Wilbert's books to being a well-known character in the TV series.

Diesel is unironically one of the best Thomas characters.

Whether he's plotting and scheming in the shadows, or just being a bully, Diesel is still much more than just the show's main villain. There's complexities about him that the writers love to explore, especially in the cgi era. He has layers, just like all the other main engines. And it's always interesting to see Tug peel those layers back.

4:28 I'm absolutely obsessed with how Willie Rushton voiced Diesel, he literally sounds like Stewie Griffin more than anything

Diesel is like that kid who keeps getting suspended from school, but keeps getting extra chances

18:09 Baldwin's "HEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!!!!" always cracks me up.

Despite the fact that Diesel is one of hundreds of class 08s, someone actually managed to use the timeline of his three appearances to narrow him down to one single specific real class 08 that Diesel has to have been. IRL Diesel even made it into preservation. Or at least he's still around today, I believe he actually left preservation to go back into private industry.

Awdry wanted to make him insignificant, but Britt and David made him super memorable

Diesel is like Dick Dastardly. Cunning, wicked, and troublesome, but his plans often go awry due to his own arrogance.

Thomas in DOTD: “diesels can be devious” Salty, BoCo, mavis, daisy, derek, rusty, etc: “are we a joke to you?”

Diesel is such a great character. He is an excellent villain, and a great antagonist. A character as good as Diesel deserved to appear again, he is the Moriarty to Ducks Sherlock Holmes.

My head canon of why diesel wasn’t sent away after his most evil act ever done (trying to scrap Fergus) was because The Other Railway was also having trouble with him which is why they would send him to sodor every chance they got but said to Topham they refuse to have him back and basically said either you buy him or we will scrap him. With Topham being the sentimental guy he is of course bought him.

as a kid I always thought when diesel was "sent away" he was just sent to work on a different part of the island. He was always owned by the north western but just worked in Vicarstown where in the model series "only the diesels work"

I got into a conversation once that Diesel did nothing wrong in his first appearance other than thinking he's better and he just needed to be humbled over time rather than Duck doing it. And what makes it even funnier is that Duck needed to be humbled too. So imagine how it feels when the jackass everyone hates puts you in your place. Diesel started with a villian origin.

I’ll never forget when my three year old brain heard Diesels theme music and Ringo’s Diesel Voice for the first time. Probably the first time I understood how to spot a villain!

Diesel has got to be among the most important characters in the franchise. He is one of the characters it couldn’t exist without.

From a one-off in the RWS, existing as a tool to kick start Duck's character arc, to being an absolute staple in the show, being one of the very few characters to survive into AEG of all things. There's something special about Devious Diesel, despite being an unremarkable, one in a million clone army, he has proven himself to be quite remarkable indeed.

Using Misty Island Rescue as a good point for Diesel’s character development is something I never expect from Tug.

“I only wish, sir, that I had come up with those names myself” is such a funny line of characterization and highlights just how much Duck truly deserved his comeuppance.

A Diesel named Diesel, who would've thought about that, anyways, nice video as always! Diesel was one of my favorite characters when i was a kid, and it still is to this day!

Ah yes, Devious Diesel, one of Thomas and friends most conniving, yet loved character on the show.

I actually like Daisy giving Mavis the bad advise better as they both work on the same branch line and while Daisy was redeemed, the text itself said that she was just happy to have another Desiel to talk to. It also makes sense that Daisy knows nothing about trucks

Diesel is such an interesting character. Over the eras you can slowly see a shift in how he's written. My only wish is that he could have interacted with Duck a bit more in CGI. Duck would have been perfect for Diesel & The Ducklings. Either way he really is an engine that's full of surprises.

Going from a one-and-done to a mainstay. Diesel represents a big thing in the franchise. 18:08 this is one Alec Baldwin’s best narration moments ever.

Originally intended to be a one off by Awdry, became probably the most recurring character in the TV series.

I 100% agree with you. The more manipulative side of Diesel was always the one I preferred. The one that gets into the other engines' heads and pulled the strings behind the scenes. The one who reminds them of what the future held for engines on the mainland. That's the diesel I remember growing up. I've grown to like the CGI Diesel that delves into the mentality of a bully, but I'll always prefer the diesel that serves as the doomsday reminder to the steam engines. A little off topic, but something I've noticed: In a way, if you really think about it, Jackson Storm from Cars 3 has a few similarities to classic Diesel. A "modern" vehicle that taunts the older protagonist, getting into their head and serving as a reminder to them of what is inevitably to come and telling them that the newer is superior. Not only this, but Storm is also one of hundreds of cars just like him, much like Diesel is one of hundreds of engines of the same class. Just food for thought. Amazing analysis as always. Was not expecting this one!

Diesel being the next character installment of this series really fits the tone of Halloween, as all villains are at this time of month!

Diesel is such an interesting character that is often portrayed one way or the other. I love the complexity some fans give him

I'm surprised Diesel's low points in the series were not nearly as low as characters like Skarloey or Henry, and how the coolest looking era of the show essentially did the worst job with his character. For how (intentionally) insignificant as he was in the books, to how complex and sympathetic he was in the CGI seasons, Diesel truly is, "REVOLUTIONARY".

I LOVE Diesel's musical theme of the classic tv seasons, its soooo catchy and it stands out completely ompletely in comparison with all the other themes. A small but fantastic masterpiece!

Diesel will always be one of my favorites, and his arc with Duck is one of the reasons that season 2 is my all time favorite. Love him or hate him, he is revolutionary.

Diesel was the OG villain of the franchise, and he became a lot more complex over the years. He may not have a name, but he's certainly full of surprises.

Devious Diesel is a great example of a villain analysis video like Sodor’s Finest

Awdry had a noted distaste for diesels and didn't want to include them in his stories prior to writing Duck and the Diesel Engine. It took quite a lot of persuasion from Eric Marriott to change his mind, so when he finally introduced one, he refused to give him a proper name, made him the villain and all but killed him off in the same book he was introduced in. Duck and the Diesel Engine was Wilbert's way of expressing his disdain for diesels. The very next book, The Little Old Engine, introduced Rusty, a friendly diesel, to the series. I think this was most likely because the Talyllyn Railway, which Wilbert was a passionate supporter of, had one and so he didn't want to depict their diesel unfavourably. He used most of the remainder of the series to express support for the steam preservation movement and directly advertised several railways in his books. To me, as a preservation enthusiast, this is what makes the Railway Series special.

What started as a one-note antagonist would later become foiled for each of the engines. My favorite portrait has got to be fan adoption like Diesel Demons by Richard Jordan as it shows consequence with his action later working on the scrap yard as a punishment and later redeems himself saving Edward from the torches.

Considering how Diesel was depicted in previous episodes (not a good shunter and “knows nothing about trucks”), the record he set in "Emily and the Special Coaches" seems more impressive. The guy tried so hard to overcome his problem with trucks and even set a record, this should be a milestone in his growth. Hell, the concept of this episode even has the potential to be remastered into an episode (or a two-parter) that gives Diesel a proper send-off. In the end, Diesel could be placed in a prominent shunter role in one of the yards. (Also a new coat of paint which makes him a unique part of the railway could be a good concept).

Reality shattered when CGI finally won as the best portrayal of a character.

While it is rather unfortunate that Diesel being found out and sent away after Close Shave was never shown and is very understandable why, but thankfully, fans had gave us exactly that with the fan made episode, Percy’s Ploy. This episode takes place between Duck being sent to work with Edward and when he had crashed into the Barber Shop, and it shows Diesel meeting his demise, by his own manipulation. Essentially with Duck gone, Diesel had to handle the shunting in the yards, and he frequently caused delays and trouble for the Steam Engines. Percy, having watching him do all this, tries to tell the big engines, but no one believes him, more then likely because of how Percy treated them. It then gets to the point when Diesel tricked Henry and Gordon, he has had enough and gets Diesel back by doing the exact same thing he did to sent Duck away, he tells lies to the trucks, and they get him back. And soon Sir Topham Hat finds out about this along with his other lies, and seeing him as untrustworthy, he sends Diesel away, and tells the big engines to be more trustful of others and newer engines. The Episode then ends with him getting the phone call of Duck’s crash and being on his way. This fan made episode really shows more of Diesel’s playing it cool and manipulated sides, while also showing that his capabilities, will not only come back to fight, but also how his own trick, can be used by others to get him back, plus having Percy be the one to get him back is so fitting, especially since while he was seen with the other engines when Diesel arrived in show, he never said any dialogue, so we never really know of how he felt about Diesel being here. And going by Percy’s playful personality, this seems very fitting for him to do. Definitely a well made fan episode:)

In my opinion I feel Thomas & Sir Topham Hatt must be the last 2 in this series

Diesel is like that shady guy at school you don't really trust, but is friendly/interesting enough to stick around.

I used to hate Diesel when I watched the show as a little kid. Now as an adult, I’m starting to draw a little closer to Diesel. He seems to be relatable in some cases. In my opinion, Diesel should be considered one of the greatest villains in television history.

It’s Halloween so it makes sense the main antagonist is going be on sodor’s finest. Also, Diesel somehow made the Hit era good for Thomas and Friends.

Diesel is hands down the best villain the show has ever had!

I just love the thumbnail you made for Diesel’s retrospective video, it makes Diesel look actually menacing.

What the heck did they do the Patreon logo 😂 Great to see you cover Sodor's Devious! I think out of all the engines "arcs" throughout both live action and CGI, Diesel's might be my favorite. Some would say he became a lot softer in his later years but honestly, I think he went through a pretty natural change if you look back at his whole story.

The whole Duck and Diesel comparison the book had also seems to be hinted at in the TV show. The episode "Pop Goes The Diesel" begins with Duck on the turntable, facing away from the camera before slowly being rotated around. Diesel is first introduced in the exact same manner. That HAD to have been deliberate.

Tbh, Paxton's my favourite diesel character in the CGI series. As you said, he sees good in everyone and is kind to those who had even made fun of him. I'm glad the writers had him mature a bit, making him just a little less naive. I like to think that unlike most diesels, Paxton really doesn't mind working alongside steam engines since he always goes to a quarry full of them.

I always found that honk after Diesel falls into the barge hilarious.

Diesel is one of those characters who to me had a crazy arc throughout the show not gonna lie he kinda became an NPC during the HiT era.

That scene in Springtime For Diesel with the door raising is just so fire 🔥 Because, y'know. I'm excited to see ya cover Diesel! Not one I was expected, but one that's bound to be interesting, given his history

I wonder how Awdry would’ve thought of Diesel as time went on.

Now this is special one. Diesel's character has been all over the place in from diabolical evil, to gouchy school bully. This outta be good.

Diesel is without a doubt one of my favorite characters, this is easily my 2nd favorite Sodor's Finest you did, right behind the Percy one. He started off as just a one off character in the books, but when the show started making original stories, he appeared frequently and became a recurring character it's clear that when it came to original stories, they saw something in him

Diesel has always been one of my favorite characters, and I love that we now have a complete history of Him.

You know he's made it big when he is referenced in an action movie, Bullet Train!

I do think that the moral ambiguity of Duck and the Diesel engine was a excellent move by Awdry. I do think though that fan stories do a better job of showing diesel much later. He should really be a character that appears once and then maybe far in the future…

29:30-29:34 Puberty hit his voice box like an uppercut to the chin really hard, he went from a squeaky sounding ferret to a deep voiced badger!! 😂😂😂😅😅😅

The Great Race still has my favorite Diesel side plot, hid convoluted plan to go to the great railway show never fails to crack a smile on my face and he probably has one of the best songs in the Brenner era.

Who would have thought a mere one-off character could go on to have such a lasting legacy? Diesel truly is one of the best.

Seeing the teaser at the end Awdry would be so proud that there are those that still love his creation despite what haopened to it over the years. The books and show may be done but the legacy lives on. This video is a great example of that i think.

Diesel in cgi: noo dont tell about my love of ducks! 😢 Model diesel: *makes a cult against you cutely*

I think my mind just popped! Last year and this year, 3 installments of Sodor’s Finest were uploaded and followed a specific pattern: Toby and Percy * Both are Awdry characters introduced in a Railway Series book published in the early 1950s (Percy in 1950; Toby in 1952) and during the latter half of season 1 * Both aren’t interested in living life in the spotlight * Both are small engines with big personalities * Both have solid voice actors from _Magic Railroad_ (Linda Ballantyne as Percy; Colm Feore as Toby) and the UK dub of season 19-21 & BWBA (Nigel Pilkington as Percy; Rob Rackstraw as Toby) respectively! Hiro and Cranky * Both are the first Non-Awdry characters in their respective eras (Cranky is the first TV-exclusive character; Hiro is the first CGI character) * Both are accompanied by another character specifically introduced to conclude their character arcs (Carly with Cranky; Kenji with Hiro) Duck and Diesel * Both are Awdry characters introduced in a Railway Series book published in the latter half of the 1950s (Duck in 1956; Diesel in 1958) and during the first half of season 2 * Both are based on a class of engine where a large number of them were built and manufactured *(863* 5700 Pannier Tank engines for Duck; *996* Class 08 shunters for Diesel) * Both befriended a character owned by a human villain (Skiff with Duck; Sonny with Diesel)

YES!!!! Finally, we got Evil Diesel himself!

Diesel is like the complete opposite of James.James is usually involved or helps with a story while Diesel usually gets involved by starting a problem and therefore,hurts/helps the story. *It's perfect*

I definitely wasn't expecting Diesel to be the sodors finest

Pinch me… A SF on the franchise’s main villain, for Halloween, who was introduced in the 13th book? 🐈‍⬛ This is pretty much perfection, considering we HAD a Friday 13th this month.

I always forget he appeared only once in Wilbert's books.

My one explation to why diesel kept popping up is that he was a privately own engine on a factory on the railway and the times he was sent away, he was sent back to the factory

Diesel has always been a fun character for me. I don't know why the Fat Controller keeps bringing him back, but he's still entertaining. Also... STAR WARS!

That was Brilliant, Diesel is one of the Great Characters in both the Classic and the CGI Series.

Diesels Laugh in CGI is just so Iconic it is genuinely beautiful!

I just realized, due to the context of “Stepney gets lost” Diesel tried to send Fergus to his death.

I kinda wish in the cgi series there was an episode where duck and paxton meet

Towards the Railway Series, I know they are not marketed as a direct addition to the Railway Series, but you could have maybe even covered the Annuals by Christopher, as they do go with the book. However this is still a grand and perfect in time for Halloween Special of Sodor's Finest

30:59 - Diesel’s laugh is so Cartman-esque here. I love it. This who scenario reminds me of the Cartman/Butters storyline in the Casa Bonita episode of South Park. Diesel and Paxton really are the Cartman and Butters of Thomas.

Diesel was a good character in the show that I remember as a kid. He played a major part as an example to be manipulative in the classics until the flanderization in the HiT-era where he becomes a generic bully but I love the complexity of how interesting he was utilized. Makes sense to put this main antagonist in Soder’s Finest for the tone of Halloween!

Diesel has always been one of my favourites. Appropriate choice for Halloween UnluckyTug.

16:38 I always like to believe that Diesel on the mainland is asked to take the goods to Sodor by his controller. After Diesel delivers the goods and was about to head home to the mainland, he stops at the station first, and that is where he gives bad advice to Mavis before he heads home to the mainland. That's why Diesel appeared in Mavis instead of Daisy, and plus dew to Rick Siggelkow's criticism on Daisy.

Diesel is my favorite. I love his model in the model seasons and i love how he's kinda like the coyote from that looney toons cartoon, always making a plan it failing miserably.

The opening of this video felt like an intro to a Thomas Movie!!! Diesel is a great character in TTTE! Excellent video, Nic!

In regard to Diesel's arc in the Railway Series, and specifically his contrast to Duck as shunters, I really think the one that said the symbolism best was Dmman33 in his blog review of the related book. In Dmman33s words, the contrast between steam and diesel is "at its most dramatic". While Diesel "may not carry the same level of existential menace as later diesels, by having him impact a character over multiple stories through his own actions, he serves as a more dangerous and frightening villain in his own right...no similar characters exists in the [Railway Series]". The fact he almost didn't return, with a fate left open to interpretation but an impact that carries itself into later stories, highlights the message further. At the other end, Duck, at said point in time, is aware he has a proud heritage to uphold, and City of Truro's visit really meant a lot to him, but he hadn't quite yet learnt to trust the big engines, having also not gotten a strong impression of them when he first arrived, so it was easy for them to take Diesel's side and turn on Duck. His redemption highlighted how he wins over the others with his bravery in the face of a potential disaster. Sure he didn't save himself from crashing altogether, but he prevented a worse accident by slowing down enough to be diverted from the main line, proving himself indeed a Great Westerner. Regards, Samuel Farris.

Diesel is a great character and quite a good villain, and he had wonderful character growth, which I never noticed until now, even springtime for Diesel. Overall, it was really solved.

Excellent depth of Diesel’s character and explains why he’s such a vengeful bastard! I really sympathize with Diesel & the other diesels, no one really pays attention to them in spite of their superiority. I’m so glad that the writers gave the diesels, (especially Diesel) more depth into the CGI FORM.

Diesel isn’t one of my favorite Thomas characters but after watching this video I view him in a different light. Another great video Nic!

Such a good video for a baddie such as Diesel and he’s my favourite antagonist in the franchise along with Diesel 10. Happy Halloween!

I love how these videos have sound effects now! 😍

I honestly never expected a Sodor’s finest on Diesel. Interesting episode.

Just got home from school and saw this on my recommended. Thank you Tug, you made my half day 5x better.

I CALLED! I new it would be a Devious Diesel episode :) Maybe it's the spooky season? Who knows

The fact he was literally a nothing character in all but one book along with Boco kinda leads me to believe Awdry didn’t want to include Diesels in the series but over time he just kinda accepted they’d have to be included by the time Characters like Bear appeared and even then it really feels like he included them out of obligation and not because he wanted to.

4:29 Diesel sounds like Stewie

Does Duck really play a trick, or does he just not tell Diesel he's going for the wrong trucks?

Enjoyed this one a lot. Diesel is a character that no one really thinks about too much, and I honestly never really hated his CGI persona. He was just a sort of lovably goofy asshole. I will say this though, part of me kinda wonders if he would’ve been better off as a one off character. I’m still not sure if he really needed a redemption arc. I’m curious on what the general opinion is though, so I’ll ask: Did Diesel deserve a redemption arc, or was he better off as a one and done character like bowler or spamcan? (Oh yeah and full of surprises is a banger song)

This is why Diesel is like the best villian ever

Well I wasn't expecting you to pick CGI Diesel! I think the issue with CGI Diesel is that you kinda have to pick and choose which events you consider canon. CGI Diesel is sort of like every version of him, a huge muddle of different ideas and interpretations of the charcater. Now you might say "that's inconsistent" - and it is! - but I think variety IS the spice of life. Because there's so many different takes on him in CGI, it gives you a lot more to chew on. In a weird way, I'm actually kinda glad they did it that way, becuase it made the writers use him in WAY funner ways than if they had just stuck to the OG personality. Like hiding in crates, or minipulating Harvey, or helping Percy in Wild Water Recuse. We just got so many different angles on him in CGI. Inconsitiant? Yep! But most, if not all, of his episodes in the CGI era were absoute winners! Also, that Unlikely Fandom premire seems like great fun, Carty said I apparently made the cut! I only wish I could be there.

thanks for everything man, this, this made me smile, especially the end

17:10 I'm also kinda glad they swapped out Diesel for Daisy here, because the original (like a lot of Mavis' RWS stories) reads as a pretty thinly veiled allegorical jab at women in the workplace.

Surprisingly, Diesel is by far my favorite diesel character in the Fandom. He sits right up in my top favorites with Percy, Gordon, Skarloey, and Molly.

It's good you brought up how Diesel was written in the Nitrogen era, Tug. Seems like the steam engines in that era of the show really enjoy reveling in putting down Diesel, and unknowingly to them, other diesels like Paxton and Salty. There wasn't enough thought put into that, as plenty of steam engines, and Thomas in particular, have interacted with nice diesels like Salty, Rusty and so forth. Diesel is one of, if not, the most complex characters in the series.

When I first watched Thomas and Friends, Devious Diesel is honesty my most favourite diesel engine. His back buffer made me think he looked pretty cool including his traction rods from his wheels as well. He is also pretty humorous too.