The COMPLETE History of Devious Diesel - Sodor's Finest

[@DanGamingFan2406]

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.

[@watershipup7101]

I wish they had kept his redemption in Springtime for Diesel.

[@genjis5155]

He's one of my favorites.

[@fluffyrock2345]

The show’s token baddie 😭😭💀💀💀💀

[@BigSigmaGojo]

@@fluffyrock2345the baddie gave everyone a chance exempt me WHY ME

[@awesomecortez]

lemme get 10 dollars too

[@napsbrickrailways2290]

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

[@napsbrickrailways2290]

@T.elegra.m..TheUnluckyTug no go have some calcium

[@Fabian06]

Diesel is unironically one of the best Thomas characters.

[@Poggersman37]

“I’m full of suprises!” -Diesel

[@IStoleUrToast-v69]

how did u comment 18 hours before the vid released

[@Ryuuranger]

He’s a villain everyone hates him

[@Paper246]

Hol up how did you comment 18 hours ago?

[@harrybarr3797]

@@IStoleUrToast-v69patreon ?

[@giulianodervelociraptorder734]

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.

[@efectedwall5527]

I did not know that

[@karenfan010]

kinda like james.

[@IsleofPigsStudios]

James 🤝 Diesel Originally planned to be minor but ended up being staples

[@omarvazquez4075]

Even in all engines go

[@omarvazquez4075]

​@@karenfan010and bullstrode

[@clayton_rose]

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.

[@clayton_rose]

I have no real evidence to support this except really the fact that he’s mean to both Paxton and Daisy means he’s not just that way towards steam engines. Then again that may be because they like steamies.

[@Dat-Mudkip]

That's a good head cannon. It not only explains why the other railway kept throwing him in Topham's direction, but it also explains why he seems to be "stuck" on Sodor as well.

[@DavidBContentExtravaganza3967]

@@clayton_rose Yeah, he conflicts with the good diesels and don't get along with them much due to their friendliness to steam engines whom he dislikes.

[@bow-tiedengineer4453]

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.

[@brandonmartinez8217]

That’s fascinating! Do you have a link to a video or article about it?

[@bow-tiedengineer4453]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/raGklIGCg9OkY80&ab_channel=SodorIslandModels that's the main video, but he did two others later, one going into detail on a few aspects of his original alanlysis kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZ2agnVtd6p9jMU&ab_channel=SodorIslandModels and another incorporating the confirmation that the engine in the great railway show was in fact Diesel. kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4TRe36vdrKopM0&ab_channel=SodorIslandModels Having rewatched the videos, in the first one, there were actually three possible 08s that could be Diesel, but two of them were withdrawn close enough to the date of their appearance in that book that he preferred the third possible 08 as Diesel. But, the great railway show appearance actually helps to confirm that his guess would have to be the correct one out of the three, as that particular 08, while in private ownership at that point, was actually based very close to where Thomas had his accident at the time of that book, so of the three possible 08s, only that one could have reasonable come to help Thomas. As a bit of an interesting thing, Diesel actually had a short stint on the bluebell, helping out with shunting rolling stock there. It's a small world, eh? I strongly recommend watching the full videos, as well as some of his other stuff. He did a similar video tracking down Jinty, plus some other interesting in depth analysis videos.@@brandonmartinez8217

[@jackswan3420]

​@@brandonmartinez8217It's a 3-parter on KZbin called "Who Diesel do you think you are?"

[@danielsellers8707]

Wow that is amazing! Diesel worked at Hull where my dad comes from originally and is about the same age as my dad🙂 Now he works at Burton on Trent, not that far from me!

[@danielsellers8707]

@@jackswan3420kzbin.info/www/bejne/raGklIGCg9OkY80 Amazing how they narrowed Diesel's basis from nearly 1000 Class 08s down to just 1 and that the real Diesel visited the Bluebell Railway.

[@andydoms2001]

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

[@elmothegudava1222]

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

[@becdoesyoutube]

That or Mr. Crocker from Fairly Odd Parents.

[@elmothegudava1222]

@@becdoesyoutube OH my god YOU'RE RIGHT!!!

[@fanofeverything30465]

Stewie even had a character arc similar to Diesel

[@Thegaminator348]

He also sounds like Paul McCartney

[@synyster5469]

What makes this comparison even funnier is the Thomas family guy parody mix which voices stewies “I might kill you tonight” over diesel in the show when he blames duck for getting the trucks to laugh at him

[@jjb1908]

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

[@TheAutisticCapricorn811]

And that's really high praise on Britt and David for expanding the authenticity of what the spectacle of dieselization could make in the name of future railroading motive transportation. Of course not all diesel locomotives in the world are bad as the numeral amount of their steam allies, they both are in means of making good hauling machinery on rails a unit.

[@jjb1908]

@@TheAutisticCapricorn811 I'm ok with how Awdry did it, but it does have a huge sense of irony. I mean the books and the show are different mediums as well as different canons

[@fanofeverything30465]

​@@TheAutisticCapricorn811What's the irony

[@TheAutisticCapricorn811]

@@fanofeverything30465 The irony is that there is a amalgamation of how locomotives are in use, they all serve a purpose of wanting to be useful and live what they're made to be built since day one, without any means of turning into scrap and being left for dead or turned into parts for another locomotive in the works assemblance. I'm simply just comparing the life purpose of man-made machinery to the life of us human beings.

[@fanofeverything30465]

@@jjb1908 What's the irony

[@harold5337]

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.

[@vanessasandoval96]

I love how Diesel plays tricks on troublesome trucks make them laugh 😆 at Gordon James and Henry to make them believe it was duck

[@jake90009]

He's great FOR WRITING. By saying 'great', you imply he's lovable and that's not true. He's there to represent a narcissist and narcissists aren't cool especially when their narcissism is intentional like Diesel's.

[@fanofeverything30465]

​@@jake90009Do we really need to nitpick the wording

[@jake90009]

@@fanofeverything30465 Isn't that what you're doing to me?

[@fanofeverything30465]

@@jake90009 How am I doing it to you

[@ryhi5]

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!

[@vizor4888]

🛢

[@therenamonstan]

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

[@DavidScholz-bu1ix]

AGREED!!!!!

[@jacobjcb8883]

Diesel: Drat and double drat!

[@stuartbarclay7940]

Yeah, he is like Dick Dastardly!

[@teaoftraffic]

TRUE

[@GothRailfan]

Agreed!

[@georgeoliver8300]

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"

[@greycatturtle7132]

Makes sense

[@littleleopard7702]

@@greycatturtle7132 Just Gonna Ignore His Comment Is From YESTERDAY When The Video Has Been Out For An Hour

[@greycatturtle7132]

@@littleleopard7702 oh

[@warrickbaker3175]

Most likely a Patreon subscriber

[@ToastTheThe]

​@@littleleopard7702patreon supporters get early access to his videos lmao

[@Mac_Spector]

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.

[@Sudriantank743]

Not even duck appeared in all engines go.

[@joshuaW5621]

Funnily enough, the US version of Thomas and the Evil Diesel doesn’t feature Duck.

[@kenslycarpel3140]

​@@Sudriantank743That's a good thing.

[@ToastTheThe]

​@@joshuaW5621the US version of the book overall kinda sucks lmao

[@Jedi-ge6lr]

@@Sudriantank743 This comment didn't age well.

[@sandrahwu]

“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.

[@olivermensinger]

"If the DOME fits."

[@TheLazyFusspot_3428]

As well as how melancholy the scene ends from there. Sure, Duck was an insufferable know-it-all, but we did feel bad for him after he was sent away.

[@leonfeichter2124]

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!

[@sophisticautistic5453]

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.

[@BroncoKnight34]

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.

[@williamjeffries5074]

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.

[@mellojoe9421]

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

[@dr.toxicgamingmadscientist]

Don't forget about Bear in the Railway Series books

[@youssefhussein1615]

Thomas didn't ment all the Diesels being bad, some of them are friends which are Salty, Mavis, Boco, Daisy, Rusty, and even Paxton and Sidney too.

[@Waskotorowy]

"Diesels CAN be devious" not "MUST be devious"

[@youssefhussein1615]

@@Waskotorowy I knew that already since I know what Thomas meant and why.

[@TheeVue]

Diesels Are Rude Nasty Selfless Arrogant And Evil In The Thomas RWS & Tv Shows But There Are A Few Exceptions The Ones That Change BoCo, Bear, Mavis, Daisy, Rusty And Even Salty.

[@RhapsodyHC]

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

[@QJ89]

Even if the class alegory is stupid and the word "Steamie" is one of the worst things to come out of Thomas & Friends, Diesel ends up being more likeable than Thomas himself. Faint praise, right there.

[@jmredguppy2799]

And Day of the Diesels. Funny how Tug went from “WHAT IS THIS RACIST BULLSH*T BEING IMPLIED” in the Movie ranking vid to now “Oh wow this is actually more clever than we anticipated” XD

[@olivermensinger6022]

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.

[@LUOLMO]

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!

[@stuartbarclay7940]

Diesel is one of my favourite characters too!

[@fanofeverything30465]

I always thought it was a little sad that Diesel never got a proper name

[@youssefhussein1615]

I never understood why Diesel and Diesel 10 were named how they are, and I didn't know why people had that for the two characters for so many years ever since I was a boy and since Thomas and friends was part of my childhood, but then one day I found that Diesel can be used as naming something like he's really strong, like in a Disney movie called "Snow Dogs" how they had a Husky named Diesel, and like in Ice Age dawn of the dinosaurs, how Diego said to Buck "Diesel Weasel" for how Buck was brave and strong to not get eaten by Rudy the Baryonyx, I guess Diesel is named how he is like as for how strong he could be.

[@TomatrontheOne]

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

[@Paper246]

How did you comment a day ago?

[@JNJNRobin1337]

channel membership probably

[@TomatrontheOne]

@@JNJNRobin1337 patreon

[@jjb1908]

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

[@vanessasandoval96]

0:50 the the villain Devious named Diesel who loves playing tricks and have whole army of Diesels

[@brycelandon6387]

The reason Diesel gave the advice in the TV adaptation instead of Daisy was because of American influence on the show. The producer of Shining Time Station, the PBS show that served as a vehicle to introduce "Thomas & Friends" to a US audience, saw Daisy as a sexist portrayal of a female character and insisted that her episodes from Series 2 not be shown on American TV, and that she not appear in any Series 3 episodes. So yeah, you can blame us Americans for keeping Daisy out of the adaptation of "Mavis".

[@jjb1908]

@@brycelandon6387 I know that

[@fanofeverything30465]

​@@brycelandon6387Don't encourage the anti-Americans

[@jjb1908]

@@brycelandon6387 Also, I am American

[@TheFlyingFlatbed]

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!

[@vanessasandoval96]

What if Dirty Works gets a deleted scene 🎬 where Diesel had already got punished

[@DavidBContentExtravaganza3967]

Diesel's manipulative side is still present in CGI though small doses. Would be nice if the doomsday reminder side is shown in CGI as well.

[@DavidBContentExtravaganza3967]

@@vanessasandoval96 Or A Close Shave.

[@MiguelTheMan]

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

[@BHuang92]

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

[@dabluepittoo-aqua4213]

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.

[@DavidBContentExtravaganza3967]

Me too. I was hoping for Diesel to interact with Duck in CGI since Series 17. Pity they didn't get to do it, even make a episode around the two and Paxton since both he and Duck are foils to Diesel or a episode around Diesel causing trouble between Duck and Thomas. (chuckles)

[@youssefhussein1615]

@@DavidBContentExtravaganza3967 You know, I honestly think that it would've been great if they had an episode of Diesel with Spencer since they never show Spencer with the Diesels like all the other engines, and since every engine knows everybody, like how in the CGI season 14 episode "Diesel's special delivery" we see how Rosie knows Diesel, and how Diesel knows her, I think they should show more of that for showing a character we know of meeting someone else we know of too but who we don't know if the character Diesel himself knows about.

[@DavidBContentExtravaganza3967]

@@youssefhussein1615 Hmm, that would've been good. Nino's Productions' rewrite of Day of the Diesels did feature that.

[@sKid-gh9ub]

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.

[@TankEngine97]

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

[@PolishUrGunpla]

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).

[@DavidBContentExtravaganza3967]

I once imagine a CGI episode story that has Diesel attempting to prevent engines from breaking his record. It's unique that a villain/antagonist set a record in media since it has never been made before since only heroes set records in media so far.

[@fanofeverything30465]

He could also get a proper name

[@DavidBContentExtravaganza3967]

@@fanofeverything30465 I think Diesel as a name is fine enough.

[@thesudriana016]

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

[@vanessasandoval96]

4:55 yeah Diesel even loves Halloween 🎃 that explains why he appear in Flour Power the best HIT era episode

[@therenamonstan]

Indeed. That's why Halloween is the perfect time of year for villains! 🎃😈

[@phil_nebula676]

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.

[@Toonrick12]

A tip of the hat to Jasperpie with his story of "Take my Diesel, please". It explains why Diesel was brought back to Sodor and how he stayed. Diesel screwed up his test run and was basically neglected by the other railway, with only the NWR giving him any sort of job.

[@spoiledfire3695]

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".

[@Jedi-ge6lr]

@T.elegra.m....TheUnluckyTug Scam.

[@j.d.wilkes7189]

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.

[@Douglas57647]

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.

[@hudsontrainguy1217]

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

[@vanessasandoval96]

The first Diesel who arrived on Sodor in RWS series and Season 2 his name is Devious

[@Ryder-a-Blaze]

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

[@killdozer7792]

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.

[@greenengine048]

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

[@Bunbiichuffn]

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

[@roadwarrior114]

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

[@Sharkkingstudios23]

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

[@jmredguppy2799]

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:)

[@vanessasandoval96]

4:52 trucks are waiting in the yard tackling them easel show the world what I could gaily boasts the diesel in and out he creeps about like big black weasel when he pulls the wrong trucks out Pop Goes The Diesel

[@DavidBContentExtravaganza3967]

Imagine if someone create a story around Thomas exposing Diesel's lies during A Close Shave. That would be more natural to show how Thomas and Diesel became foes in classic series fashion.

[@jmredguppy2799]

@@DavidBContentExtravaganza3967yeah that would’ve been nice, plus it gives more of a setup for their rivalry.

[@DavidBContentExtravaganza3967]

@@jmredguppy2799 Exactly. Hopefully fans make something of that one of these days.

[@thusgordonplot4721]

It’s actually satisfying when Diesel gets exposed, Percy still occasionally working on the main line, and Sir Topham Hatt telling the big engines to learn to trust new comers and not to jump to conclusions without knowing full stories, while they were victims and were understandably upset for being called names

[@Aberyyyy]

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.

[@DavidBContentExtravaganza3967]

The first villain song in the show well more or less depending on your view.

[@stuartbarclay7940]

I enjoy Diesel's side plot in The Great Race too! The first time I saw the scene where a crate fell on him, I was laughing my head off! And I agree that Full of Surprises is one of the best songs from the Brenner-Era.

[@Dat-Mudkip]

The side plot brought in a lot of comedic relief, and I was all for it. Loved the song they used in the credits as well - "He's Full of Surprises" is underrated!

[@amyrodgers4252]

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.

[@rmgilyard]

Like Rusty, Salty, Daisy, Mavis and even Philip, I can really believe it’s safe to say that Paxton is a role model for all diesel-kind to come. I really wish that more people like you and me can humanize the diesel a bit more than how most interpret.

[@youssefhussein1615]

I agree that Paxton sees good in everyone, especially Diesel, and I find that really good actually, and yeah in his first appearance in the movie/episode and first episode of season 15 Day of the Diesels, he might have been bad, but then in the first episode of season 16 and movie/episode Blue Mountain Mystery, he got to speak and turned out to be a really good and kind Diesel just like Mavis and Salty, and yeah Paxton may be too gullible and sometimes clueless on falling so easily by Diesel's tricks, but he is a really good friend, and man, if Paxton had someone who's really smart and understands things and how people are like me, I bet he would understand on how it would be hard to change Diesel's behavior with someone and how he could learn to be a good engine like how Sidney, Norman, and Den and Dart did being nice and being really good friends for Thomas and every steam engine on Sodor.

[@ScottMalkinsonisW]

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.

[@thesithcynic3398]

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

[@NitroIndigo]

Cranky.

[@LegendaryCaptain]

@NitroIndigo Daisy too and probably Spencer as well when they get their chance

[@ThomasFisher-jr6bn]

@@NitroIndigo True, but he didn't have a RWS counterpart.

[@fruitloops2058]

​@@ThomasFisher-jr6bnHiro didn't have a model or RWS counterpart but had an episode, Duke doesn't even appear in CGI

[@modelrailfan37]

I’m so glad I’m not the only one who really likes CGI Diesel! He’s such a fun character in the CGI Series and is far more interesting than in the model era. You have episodes where he’s just a bully like No More Mr Nice Engine, Springtime for Diesel, Diesel and the Ducklings, etc, ones where he’s unhelpful and doesn’t care for others like Diesel’s Ghostly Christmas, Disappearing Diesels, etc, and ones where he’s sceaming up plans like Sonny’s Second Chance, A Most Singular Engine, The Great Race, and Day of the Diesels. Diesel is just a fun character that you can write in so many situations, and I think that’s why the writers used him so much, particularly from Season 18-23.

[@MR-RED428]

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

[@ShadowKitty7908]

Agreed. Especially Thomas.

[@omarvazquez4075]

And he should re-do Edward and Gordon

[@MR-RED428]

@@omarvazquez4075 yeah redo Edward & Gordon

[@MR-RED428]

@@ShadowKitty7908 Sir Topham hatt has to be 2nd to last & The Final 1 is the man & basically face of the franchise & Series Thomas

[@fanofeverything30465]

​@@MR-RED428The last 4 will go like this: Gordon re-done Edward re-done Sir Topham Hatt Thomas

[@Danominator]

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.

[@jmredguppy2799]

The Patreon Logo now just looks like a mashup of a boomerang and a wet piece of paper XD. Either way, definitely agree with Diesel’s change and growth throughout the franchise.

[@DavidBContentExtravaganza3967]

@@jmredguppy2799 Though remained mostly the same in terms of devious and antagoistic.

[@1471SirFrederickBanbury]

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…

[@miguelangeloaguila4140]

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.

[@miguelangeloaguila4140]

@T.elegra.m..TheUnluckyTug, Thanks.

[@dadocta5168]

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.

[@TheLazyFusspot_3428]

Also the second time CGI wins in a Sodor's Finest spotlight episode

[@dadocta5168]

@@TheLazyFusspot_3428 Thanks for spoiling it 😝 literally was about to go to bed.

[@amitysluzara2022]

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

[@TopHatTITAN]

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

[@PennsyPappas]

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.

[@zacharyspinks6207]

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

[@valritz1489]

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.

[@keldeostudies149]

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

[@SrMechaGojira93]

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)

[@giulianodervelociraptorder734]

Omh I never noticed this.

[@fanofeverything30465]

I wonder if that was intentional

[@David_Mattox]

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.

[@DmayExpress]

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.

[@peleanimationcomics3263]

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!! 😂😂😂😅😅😅

[@karenfan010]

I mean he’s a diesel he’s much younger than most of the other engines so it makes total sense.

[@sismantis7458]

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.

[@tearooms47]

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

[@youssefhussein1615]

His laughter to me always and forever would sound way better with Michael Brandon voicing him for the US voice over for of every CGI season of the Thomas and friends series.

[@TheBingolinbear]

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.

[@ThomasTheorist]

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.

[@navchinna]

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

[@theotomingasnaf63]

You did forgot about the annual books that tells how Diesel came up with the nicknames for Gordon, James and Henry.

[@thusgordonplot4721]

Oh, yes, he did

[@edd17sp74]

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

[@herochris1221]

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!

[@edwardsr70]

Diesel and the ducklings is so funny when Thomas mocks diesel multiple times throughout the episode.

[@toocooldarr_17]

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

[@tomytrainguy7975]

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

[@brenlc1412]

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

[@youssefhussein1615]

Yeah, he tricked Fergus that he would work somewhere else, and since Diesel didn't want to be told what to do by a steamy, and he sent Fergus to the smelters-yard where Diesel's friends Arry and Bert were gonna scrap Fergus, and Fergus got so terrified that he got lost until Thomas found him and Sir Topham Hatt told Fergus that he didn't want Fergus to work somewhere else and that his job and place was where he belonged.

[@krypticunlimited6925]

Duck and Diesel are actually amazing foil characters now that you point it out

[@samuelfarris1949]

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.

[@CaptainCat101]

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!

[@vanessasandoval96]

Imagine if Sir Topham Hatt had gave Devious a Number like how about 13

[@fanofeverything30465]

​@@vanessasandoval96Fitting because 13 is supposed to be unlikely

[@Steamenginesunited3456]

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

[@anthonywoodard7200]

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!

[@anthonywoodard7200]

@T.elegra.m..TheUnluckyTug What do I win?

[@jonathanadair6847]

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

[@stuartbarclay7940]

Me too.

[@adamswindells1]

Ive always liked him even if he is considered a villan, the biggest villan part of all the diesels i think though is how their exhausts are done wrong on so many emgines especially the 08's showing it to be the vents just infront of the cab amd not the port on the roof at the front or BoCo's radiator intake smoking instead of the 2 exhaust ports at the other end of his roof

[@BrandonHargus]

When I randomly heard Torvus Bog from my favorite GameCube game in the video during the model segment, I was just giddy since I love Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. I don't know if it was intentional, but I heard the actual song from the game, not the cover you linked. It was interesting hearing your take on Diesel from CGI specifically, as it was something about the character I never thought about. I look forward to seeing who you cover next as well as the Series 8 retrospective when you get around to doing it.

[@VestedUTuber]

Honestly, I think the watsonian reason Diesel kept coming back is that, despite being a devious backstabber, he's got a really good work ethic and definitely pulls his weight. You might not be able to trust him to not pull the wool over your eyes, but you can trust him to do his job. Of course, whether he does his job _well_ is another story.

[@thomastakenplay24]

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

[@rmgilyard]

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.

[@thegoldenflame2747]

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

[@PathwateFilms]

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

[@josephmarrison4606]

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

[@drevianedwardsproductions9244]

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.

[@Nic_2751]

Despite his simplistic introduction in the books, it’s funny how in the TV series, he really did become “revolutionary” in terms of character and substance…

[@IsaacCannonball]

27:51 Even though they didn't stick to his character development after this, I do like how some of Diesel's Season 21 appearances after Springtime for Diesel show a more tsundere (or maybe bashful's the word) side of him. Daisy's perfect Christmas and the big freeze for example, where he turns red after slipping his thoughts on Daisy's christmas and being praised by Annie and Clarabel. Albeit they don't do anything with that the season after either, to my knowledge anyway. But it does feel natural, with more people being nice to him for honest work, he doesn't know what to think after years of doing the opposite.

[@blueythomas1268]

I love how these videos have sound effects now! 😍

[@enginefan]

I just wanna say the music you chose here are really fun ones. Hearing a handful I’ve listened to and enjoyed whilst watching a pretty great rest rp’s practice on Diesel really adds to the experience.

[@vanguardRailgun924]

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.

[@joshuaW5621]

I wanna see more of Bear.

[@vanguardRailgun924]

@@joshuaW5621We all do.

[@MisterDanielTofu]

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.

[@DavidBContentExtravaganza3967]

At least the putting down bit is gone since the Brenner era started.

[@mayoroicjre]

One thing that I found interesting about the portrayal of the MDS (Model Series) Diesel during this video, is that his bully characteristic was through the eyes of the steamies. We were watching from the Steam engines perspective, rather than anyone else. So it's little wonder as to why we always saw Hit era Diesel as a bully. The steamies, and by extension the viewers, got used to Diesel's antics, so we just viewed Diesel as a bully.

[@BillandBenProductions6792]

It’s nice to see a Sodor’s Finest video about Devious Diesel and Devious Diesel has got to be one of the best villains in TTTE