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Diesel
- "Your worthy Sir Topham Hatt thinks I need to learn. He is mistaken. We diesels don't need to learn, we know everything. We come to a yard and improve it. We are revolutionary!"Voiced in English by: Michael Brandon (US; Series 13-16), Martin Sherman (US; King of the Railway - Season 18), Kerry Shale (UK; Series 13 - 24, US; Series 19 - 24)Voiced in Japanese by: Daisuke Gōri (Series 2 - Series 8, excluding Series 6), Hisao Egawa (Series 6), Ken Sanders (Calling All Engines! - Series 24), Shinichi Ishihara (singing voice)Voiced in Latin American Spanish by: Jorge Ornelas (Series 13 - Series 24)Basis: British Railways Class 08 0-6-0DMBuilt: 1952
The first diesel to visit the Island of Sodor, Diesel believes that diesels are better than steam engines, and wanted to "revolutionize" Sodor. He left and came back several times before becoming a permanent part of the railway.
- Adaptational Early Appearance: In the books, he came on Sodor just after City of Truro left. Here, Diesel appears before Truro visited.
- Adaptational Villainy: In the books, Diesel was merely a pompous bully, and, after one return to Sodor, managed to redeem himself. In the series, he returned permanently, though proved as nasty as ever, and gleefully bent on having all steamies sent to the scrapyard. He tamed closer to the books' version in the HiT seasons.
- Aesop Amnesia: No matter how many times he learns about being nice to other engines, he'll soon return to his bullying ways.
- Alliterative Name: His name in the marketing, Devious Diesel.
- Anti-Hero / Anti-Villain: In rare instances, he's portrayed as an engine that wants to do good work and be recognized for his talents, but doesn't know the right way to do so and ends up hurting or upsetting others.
- Arch-Enemy: Though antagonistic to almost everyone, he seems to direct most of his enmity and rivalry towards Thomas in the HIT seasons. His main enemy in his initial appearances was Duck.
- Arc Villain: Of the three-episode arc with Duck as the main protagonist: "Pop Goes the Diesel", "Dirty Work", and "A Close Shave", though he doesn't appear in the last one.
- Ascended Extra: He appeared in one novel of The Railway Series and a standalone story by Christopher Awdry. In the show (especially in later HIT seasons), he makes regular appearances and is a key antagonist.
- Attack Hello: At least in "Springtime for Diesel", his way of saying "hello" is by deliberately bumping into other engines.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: He isn't above pretending to be a Nice Guy, especially when he's in the manipulative mood. In his debut episode "Pop Goes the Diesel" for instance, he effortlessly charms the other engines into believing he's a Nice Guy. He soon then reveals his true colours, though.
- The Bully: What he becomes in the new series. He gets enjoyment of heckling and harassing other engines, especially steam engines.
- Card-Carrying Jerkass: Hidden Heart of Gold and Pet the Dog moments aside, Diesel proudly admits in "Diesel and the Ducklings" that he's a Jerkass.Emily: Stop being so horrid Diesel.Diesel: I'll be just as horrid as I like.
- Card-Carrying Villain: He admits he's a bad engine during "I'm Full of Surprises" and once stated there's a reason he's called Devious Diesel.
- Character Development: Subtle example. From the early Hit episode "Thomas To The Rescue", Diesel drifts from being a Dark Messiah bent on scrapping steamies to more just a petty Jerkass who can show some begrudged respect for steamies like Thomas. The CGI series increasingly conveys Diesel as more just an insecure bully who wants recognition but can't let go of old grudges.
- Dark Messiah: In his first episode, he comes to Sodor preaching the diesel revolution.
- Touched on lightly again in Blue Mountain Mystery where after hearing of Luke's Dark and Troubled Past, he convinces Paxton that Luke is dangerous and must be gotten rid of.
- Depending on the Writer: Either a Manipulative Bastard or a brutish bully, with his methods being either out of unsympathetic spite or because he felt he was wronged.
- Devil in Plain Sight: He's the most Obviously Evil character among the recurring cast, is willing to ruin jobs for glory or petty revenge, and any hint of possible reformation is gone by the next episode, yet he's still is allowed to live and work on the railway.
- Disproportionate Retribution: When not picking on engines for mean laughs, he's often committing this. As he lampshades in "Springtime For Diesel" the steam engines aren't particularly nice to him either, but what meanness they can give he can surpass ten fold. The most iconic being in his first appearance where, after Duck let him humiliate himself for being a pompous kiss-ass, Diesel spread Malicious Slander to try and get him booted off the railway.
- Does Not Know How to Say "Thanks": In "Disappearing Diesels". He settles for a friendly smile instead.
- A Dog Named "Dog": A diesel named Diesel.
- Establishing Character Moment: In his introductory episode, in which after smoothly flattering all the other engines, he says the above quote to Duck about how diesels "don't need to learn" and are "revolutionary".
- Even Evil Has Standards: Diesel is no saint himself, but even he was repulsed in "Blue Mountain Mystery" after he learnt that Luke seemingly killed another engine.
- Evil Brit: In later seasons of the U.S. dub, Diesel speaks in a bit of a Cockney accent. There's also a good reason they call him devious.
- Evil Counterpart: He's just as iconic as Thomas in the show, but for all the wrong reasons and sees the blue tank engine as his Arch-Enemy.
- He even sings a warped version of the BWBA theme during his Imagine Spot where he imagines him doing a Hostile Show Takeover.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: He couldn't understand why Paxton would help him after one of his pranks, nor could he comprehend Daisy and Harvey's Odd Friendship (Which he himself instigated)
- Evil Is Petty: He's fond of dog-kicking and Disproportionate Retributions, never mind his Fantastic Racism. However, Diesel can restrain himself, at least when the Fat Controller is nearby.
- Evil Wears Black: He has black paint and is one of the most malicious characters in the series.
- Fantastic Racism: Not initially, but after the Classic series, it's made clear Diesel thinks lowly of steam engines.
- Flanderization: Diesel saw diesels as revolutionary originally, but it was not his main vendetta against the steam engines, and he was rather shrewd and manipulative in his antics. Shortly into the TV made episodes however, Diesel became a more outspoken bully and exaggeratedly racist towards steamies. The current episodes seem to be toning him back down, even if he is still a much more obnoxious heckler than initially.
- Freudian Excuse: He discusses it in "Springtime for Diesel", saying how he doesn't feel that he should be nice to engines who aren't nice to him; evidently, on some level he's very well aware of how unfriendly he is, but is hurt by the fact that the other engines don't give him a chance to redeem himself, so he continues being mean since that's apparently what they expect of him.
- Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: What was Daisy's response to learning about Diesel's Freudian Excuse? No Sympathy.
- The Heckler: Sure to be found making fun of whatever the spotlighted engine is doing, often triggering their insecurities, particulary Gordon in, "Respect For Gordon".
- Hidden Heart of Gold: Played with in "Diesel and the Ducklings". He thinks that diesels should be rough and tough, but shows his soft side towards some ducklings.
- It's All About Me: He often chooses to do things based on his own selfish desires, while ignoring how his fellow engines will be affected by it.
- Jerkass: The most prominent one of the show as he is rude, bullying, and manipulative.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Heavy on the "Jerk" part as he's a rude, manipulative, selfish, and devious Fantastic Racist. Still, he tends to get a softer moment roughly Once a Season (e.g. "Diesel's Special Delivery", and in the Arc-animated episodes "Diesel and the Ducklings" and "Springtime for Diesel") and he shows Villain Respect when he feels like it. It's also implied in "Disappearing Diesels" that he simply doesn't know how to be nice, even if he tries.
- Joker Immunity: A G-rated example. In contrast to his Railway Series counterpart (who was sent packing the moment the Fat Controller could deduce he was the one spreading lies in the yard), Diesel is never sent away again or receives any severe punishment, despite all of the trouble he causes with no sign of reformation.
- Karma Houdini: A Played With one. Diesel usually gets hit with Laser-Guided Karma whenever he does something bad. However, he's still allowed on Sodor despite his terrible track record (and having been sent away multiple times).
- Kick The Son Of A Bitch: Sometimes Diesel's heckling is directed towards haughty engines or even ones that bite first. Fantastic Racism is a prominent issue among many steamies and diesels, Diesel's just one of the worst cases.
- Kindness Ball: In "Diesel's Special Delivery", he's inexplicably nice and doesn't brag about his superiority over steam engines.
- Manipulative Bastard: Renowned for this, most infamously in his debut, he tells jokes about the big engines to the trucks, and tells them that Duck shared them with him. Once the trucks starts laughing at the other engines, they're convinced Duck had been spreading nasty jokes about them. Despite being found out and punished, he still somehow manages to smooth talk engines into trusting him (eg. convincing a lonely Percy into helping the Dieselworks in "Day Of The Diesels", or sweet talking Mavis into doing odd jobs in "Thomas The Quarry Engine"). He notes the other engines distrust of newcomer Sonny, and manipulates him into doing his jobs as he pretends to be friendly with the new engine.
- Meaningful Name: Devious Diesel, befitting of his conniving persona.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Diesel has experienced this several times. For example, he is sincerely remorseful when he thinks he damaged Daisy beyond repair after giving her a teasing biff in "Springtime For Diesel".
- Mythology Gag: Though the TV series never adapted Thomas and the Evil Diesel proper, the premise of Diesel becoming an occasional Friendly Enemy to Thomas got used recurrently from the HIT era onwards.
- Never My Fault: Hates being reprimanded for his mistakes, and will always find a way to shift the blame onto other engines. This gets especially bad in season 23's "Diesel Do Right" where after he's punished by the Fat Controller for not doing his job correctly, rather than own up to his failure and work harder, he decides to trick Rebecca into doing the other diesels' jobs wrong.
- Nice Mean And In Between: Of the three diesels introduced in Season 2, he's the Mean to BoCo's Nice and Daisy's In-between. He's bullying and manipulative and plotted to have Duck sent away from Sodor.
- Obviously Evil: In the Mitton directed seasons anyway. While the books left it more imagination, the show version's devious smile, sinister Leitmotif and shady voice over from the narrator leave little doubt from the first time he's shown that he probably isn't a Nice Guy.
- Offscreen Karma: In "A Close Shave" where the Fat Controller found out about his lies about Duck telling names about the other engines and sent him away to the other railway. Averted in "Diesel Does It Again" and most later episodes where Diesel is seen getting his comeuppance for causing trouble.
- Out-of-Character Moment: "Diesel's Special Delivery", in which Diesel broods over not getting clapped and cheered by children as much as James does.
- Pet the Dog: One episode per season, before he snaps back into his usual devious and abrasive personality.
- Psychotic Smirk: His default expression whenever he's up to no good is an evil-looking smirk. He's even doing it in one of the above pictures.
- Red and Black and Evil All Over: He's got red buffers, black paint, and a malicious nature.
- Red Baron: In promotional material, he is often referred to as "Devious Diesel". Within the show itself, this nickname is rare, but not completely unheard of.
- Ship Tease: He has some with Daisy in season 21. In "Springtime for Diesel", he feels guilty about bumping her and admits that he likes her while she's (pretending to be) asleep at the Dieselworks, and made a genuine effort to become her friend. At one point in "A Most Singular Engine", he blushes as he says her name.
- Small Name, Big Ego: He's extremely egotistical, cocky and strongly believes that the diesels are far superior than the steam engines.
- Smug Snake: Especially in later CGI episodes. While Diesel is a fine schemer and Manipulative Bastard, he is quite cocky and not as clever as he thinks he is. The original version of the song "Troublesome Trucks" even indirectly calls him out on the latter. Special note goes to "Diesel Glows Away" in which he underestimates Nia's intellect. Also, she and Paxton trick him into falling for his very own trick (although he at least later deduced that they tricked him).
- Team Rocket Wins:
- Sometimes gets to pull specials and look splendid at last. "Diesel's Special Delivery" for example.
- "The Railcar and the Coaches" also ends with him temporarily taking over Thomas' branch line after Annie and Clarabel trick Daisy.
- Perhaps the most pronounced example is "The Big Freeze", where the lack of coal means diesels are left taking over jobs on the railway. For an extra touch Diesel finds Thomas has stranded himself at a station out of carelessness. In a surprising case of What You Are in the Dark however, rather than savouring his dream of overthrowing the steamies, Diesel goes and gets the delivery of coal and is treated as a hero.
- Then Let Me Be Evil: In a few cases, including his first appearance, Diesel will make a halfway attempt to be friendly and helpful, but either his bad reputation or oily manner of doing so will lead him to get brushed off, and him to usually revert back to his old nasty habits in retaliation. As he sulks in "Springtime For Diesel" he doesn't feel the need to be nice when he doesn't feel anyone is nice to him.
- Ungrateful Bastard: When Duck stands up for Diesel when the trucks were singing a rude song, he blames Duck for, ahem, 'making the trucks laugh at him'.
- Villainous Breakdown: While they vary in intensity, Diesel is prone to losing his cool whenever his plots fail, of note is his "Hugh, GURR, SMOOOARR", growling in Pop Goes The Diesel.
- Villain Respect: He occasionally displays some begrudged respect for some engines, like Thomas.
- Villain with Good Publicity: He managed to get James, Gordon, and Henry on his side in "Dirty Work" when he spread lies about them to the Troublesome Trucks and pinned the blame on Duck. Diesel had made a good first impression on them by complimenting them when he first visited Tidmouth Sheds in his debut episode, "Pop Goes the Diesel".
- Visionary Villain: Started off as one, with it returning every now and then.Diesel: "Your worthy Sir Topham Hatt thinks I need to learn. He is mistaken. We diesels don't need to learn, we know everything. We come to a yard and improve it. We are revolutionary!"
Diesel 10
- "I can do whatever I want! I'll get him, too! With Pinchy!"Voiced in English by: Keith Scott (Thomas and the Magic Railroad, workprints only), Neil Crone (Thomas and the Magic Railroad), Rupert Degas (Misty Island Rescue and Day of the Diesels, original cut only), Matt Wilkinson (Misty Island Rescue - Series 17)Voiced in Japanese by: Ginzo Matsuo (Thomas and the Magic Railroad), Kiyoyuki Yanada (Calling All Engines), Takaya Kuroda (Misty Island Rescue), Ryota Yamasato (Day of the Diesels), Yohei Nishina (Series 17)Voiced in Latin American Spanish by: Luis Alfonso Padilla (Thomas and the Magic Railroad), Miguel Ángel Ghigliazza (Thomas and the Magic Railroad, TV version), Gerardo Reyero (Misty Island Rescue - Series 17, excluding Day of the Diesels), Eduardo Garza (Day of the Diesels)Basis: British Railways Class 42 'Warship'
The main antagonist of Thomas and the Magic Railroad and Day of the Diesels. A large warship diesel with a mechanical claw on his roof, he was out to destroy Lady and Mr. Conductor, but was defeated thanks to Thomas. He has returned several times in the show's run as a permanent part of the railway.
- Affably Evil: By the time of Day of the Diesels where his evil ways are mostly put on the wayside in favor of him being rude and vicious-tempered, but just trying to look out for his diesel brethren, whom he sees as neglected.
- Bad Boss: Is a mild example of this. In Thomas and the Magic Railroad, he tries to put Splatter and Dodge in their places by teaching them "how to stop being stupid", only to get coal dumped all over him.
- Big Bad: Diesel 10 is this in both Thomas and the Magic Railroad and Day of the Diesels.
- Brooklyn Rage: In The Movie, Diesel 10 speaks in a rough and angry New York accent. He also caused Lady to crash, unapologetically tries to kill James, Lady and Thomas, and he nearly dropped Mr. Conductor off a viaduct. This oddly contrasts to his much smoother Evil Brit voice in later appearances.
- The Brute: Along with being the Big Bad of at least two features, Diesel 10 is this among the diesels; being a very large and very strong Class 42 Warship
locomotive with a dangerous hydraulic claw arm. - Butt-Monkey: He gets his immediate comeuppance in at least three scenes of Magic Railroad; one in which his claw malfunctions, another where he gets coal dumped all over him, and finally being defeated by falling off a collapsing viaduct into a barge full of old boiler sludge.
- Cartoon Creature: While he is based on a real locomotive type (albeit shortened in length), Diesel 10's hydraulic claw is purely a fantasy creation with little-to-no practical use. In fact, such a modification is actually a breach of regulations, since not only is it illegal to modify locomotives with additional moving parts, but it would also make him unable to fit through standard-height tunnels.
- Cheated Angle: In the model series, his nose is tilted more towards his left eye. This was averted when the CGI series came, which moved it more to the middle of his face.
- Demoted to Extra: He has disappeared from the series after season 17's "The Missing Christmas Decorations", for reasons unknown. Although, Pinchy does appear in an Imagine Spot in season 22's "What Rebecca Does", and Mattel still sees him as a lucrative character, seeing as he's merchandised to death despite not being on the show all that often.
- Depending on the Writer: He's either an evil, dieselist brute who is out to destroy all steam engines, or simply a rude Jerk with a Heart of Gold who doesn't like "steamies" all that much but is still willing to help out when it counts; and moreso when he can get something out of it for himself, or for the other diesels.
- Devil in Plain Sight: The steam engines all can tell he's clearly evil, but the Fat Controller keeps him around for reasons unknown. Downplayed in the series, where he is still a devious schemer, but his attitude leans more towards Jerkass/Jerk with a Heart of Gold than than just outright evil.
- Disney Villain Death: Not a death per se, but his defeat in Magic Railroad is brought around by falling off of a collapsing viaduct; though he's saved by falling into a passing barge full of boiler sludge.
- A Dog Named "Dog": He's a diesel whose name is Diesel, but he has a number to distinguish himself from the other two Diesels. Thomas lampshades said number in Magic Railroad by describing him as "Ten out of ten for devious deeds and brutal strength".
- The Dreaded: Right from his first appearance, Diesel 10 has this reputation among the other engines. Even when his villainy is considerably toned down later on, Thomas is terrified at the prospect of asking him for help in Calling All Engines!, and most of the other diesel engines firmly answer to him.Gordon: (shuddering in fear) D-Diesel 10's back!Thomas: Yes, ten out of ten for devious deeds and brutal strength. The blast from the past who hates steam engines!
- Establishing Character Moment: In The Movie, he roars through as station, kicking up dust shouting "Get outta my way! I have unfinished business here and I wanna finish it FAST!". He also leaves Gordon, of all engines, shaking in fear.
- Evil Brit: In the US dub of the television series, he speaks in a smooth, sinister British accent due to him keeping his voice from the UK series.
- Evil Counterpart: To P. T. Boomer in Thomas and the Magic Railroad, who serves as the Shining Time counterpart of Diesel 10. However, the two are both evil.
- Evil Laugh: Has an impressive one, but it tends to be subverted due to it often ending with him getting into a coughing fit from his own diesel fumes.
- Faux Affably Evil: Diesel 10 is firmly this in Thomas and the Magic Railroad, where he often strikes up conversations in a faux-friendly tone with his would-be victims as he's attacking them. One good example of it is when he captures Mr. Conductor with Pinchy and threatens to drop him off a high viaduct if he doesn't tell him where the magic buffers are in short order:Diesel 10: Hello, Twinkle Toes! Remember me? Fat Hatt won't have much use for you looking like that. (laughs cruelly) Ah, I see you forgot to bring the sugar. How careless of you! (grabs Mr. Conductor as he tries to flee) Say hello to Pinchy!
- For the Evulz: Dumping sneezing powder all over Tidmouth Sheds Yards has got to be this.
- Gambit Roulette: His plans in Day of The Diesels rely on circumstances he could have hardly picked out.
- Graceful Loser: His reaction to falling into a barge of sludge?Diesel 10: (slowly realises he's okay) Huh. Ah, well... nice time of year for a cruise. (chuckles to himself sadly)
- I Call It "Vera": He calls his hydraulic claw "Pinchy".
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Diesel 10's characterization in Calling All Engines. It's also evident to a lesser extent in his later appearances; he's still a bullying troublemaker who maintains his reputation as The Dreaded, but he cares a lot deep down for his diesel brethren — whom he sees as neglected compared to the steam engines — and commits a good portion of what he does for their benefit.
- Large and in Charge: He is the self-elected head of the diesels by Day of the Diesels, and he's a particularly big and powerful Class 42 "Warship" diesel. The hydraulic claw probably helps, too.
- Large Ham: In both The Movie and Season 17.
- Laughably Evil: Compared to The Movie, he's slowly become this over time; less of a legitimately threatening villainous sociopath, and more of a troublemaker and bully who still looks out for his fellow diesels.
- A Molten Date with Death: In one of his most evil moments in Thomas and the Magic Railroad, Diesel 10 traps James in the smelters and nearly succeeds in shoving him backward into a vat of molten metal. He's only saved by Mr. Conductor warping him away with the Gold Dust at the literal last second.
- Never My Fault: He tries lying to Splatter and Dodge when Mr. Conductor escapes his grasp. Unfortunately for him, Splatter and Dodge aren't convinced.
- The Nicknamer: He calls Splatter and Dodge collectively "Splodge", because he "ain't got time to say both names". He calls his claw "Pinchy", Thomas "Puffball", Toby "Teapot", the rest of the steam engines "Tin Kettle", and Mr. Conductor and Sidney "Twinkle Toes".
- Noodle Incident: Dialogue between Thomas and Gordon imply Diesel 10 used to work at Sodor before, but was sent away. It is never clarified why he was sent away, only that it was bad, hence Thomas' description of "ten out of ten for devious deeds and brutal strength," though his history with Lady means it was possibly due to his wrecking her.
- Obviously Evil: Besides his drab olive hazard-stripe livery, bad-tempered bullying nature and the fact he's an enormous diesel locomotive, Diesel 10 also has a menacing hydraulic claw on his roof, that he affectionately names "Pinchy". Put them together, and even if he's no longer outright evil as he was previously, it isn't hard to tell that Diesel 10's not one to be messed with.
- Omnicidal Maniac: Despite being a THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE villain, Diesel 10 is actually shown to be cataclysmic. This quote says all you need to know:
- Silence, You Fool!: When his entourage are bickering in Day of the Diesels, he shouts them quiet. Also prominent in Thomas and the Magic Railroad.
- The Stinger: Diesel 10 appears right at the end of Misty Island Rescue, hinting at his reappearance as the main antagonist of Day of the Diesels, ominously looking down from a bridge — where an earlier chase took place — at the steam engines attending the grand opening:Diesel 10: You'll be laughing on the other side of your boilers soon, silly steamies.
- Surrounded by Idiots: His henchdiesels, ranging from Splatter and Dodge to Den and Dart, who are never anywhere near as vicious nor as smart as he is. He even frustratedly ditches the former two in his first appearance to go after Thomas and Lady himself.
- Too Fast to Stop: What ultimately defeats him in Thomas And The Magic Railroad. While Diesel 10 is faster and stronger than both Thomas and Lady, they're small enough to cross the collapsing viaduct while he can't due to his bigger size and weight. This also means he's unable to slow down in time to avoid falling.
- Vile Villain, Saccharine Show: Compared to the actual series, where most of the bad guys were kept in order with relative ease by the Fat Controller, Diesel 10 in The Movie with his plans of destroying all steam engines is much more dangerous. Dialled back in later televised appearances, where he's more just a trouble-making bully with legitimately good intentions deep down.
- Villainous Breakdown: Diesel 10 has several of these, like when he loses his composure and is forced to flee when Mr. Conductor threatens him with sugar. He also has one when he goes off the collapsing viaduct during the final chase sequence, reduced to futilely yelling insults at Thomas and Lady before he falls.Diesel 10: Whoa, whoawhoawhoawhoaWHOA! (grabs onto one of the broken rails with Pinchy) ARGH! PUFFBALL! TEAPOT! (the broken rail snaps, causing Diesel 10 to plunge into a boiler sludge-filled barge far below) TIN KEEEEEETTLEEEEE!
- Weaksauce Weakness: Apparently, pouring sugar in Diesel 10's tank will prevent him from ever working again. And before you ask, yes, that is a legitimate weakness.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Essentially the motivation for his actions in the CGI Series, he just wants the diesels to receive more attention since they always appear to be neglected, and he seems to apologize if he's made a mistake; for instance, giving the Steam Engines their own decorations, since he ruined theirs thinking that the Dieselworks wouldn't have any decorations.
Dennis
- "...I'm a really lazy engine..."Voiced in Japanese by: Tsutomu DensakaNumber: 11001Basis: Bulleid No. 11001 0-6-0DMBuilt: 1949
A diesel who is lazy. He takes advantage of Thomas by letting him do his work for him, but after he reversed into a ditch, he learns his lesson, and with the help of Thomas, he gets his work done, and promises to be a Really Useful Engine. He has a twin named Norman.
- Bad "Bad Acting": Dennis playing sick.Dennis: Heelllp.....heelllp....
- Brilliant, but Lazy: Unlike Norman who wants to be useful but breaks down, Dennis can work perfectly fine but can't be arsed.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: He has not been in an episode since season 9 and The Great Discovery, but is mentioned to be Norman's twin.
- Deep South: In the US dub.
- It's All About Me: The narration describes him as such.Narrator: "He didn't care about the tiles. He didn't care about Thomas. All he cared about was getting far away from his work."
- Lazy Bum: His main personality trait is his lazy work ethic.
- Polar Opposite Twins: Him and Norman. Norman wants to be Really Useful, but breaks down often. Meanwhile, Dennis works fine but is incredibly lazy. Dennis also has two eyebrows, while Norman has only one.
- The Slacker: As mentioned earlier, he's lazy despite his systems working perfectly.
- Taking Advantage of Generosity: Exploits Thomas who is having a day off to avoid his own work.
Den and Dart
Den (left) and Dart (right)
- "Me, sir? But, um... not... by myself...""What he means is, we're a team, sir! We work together!"Den voiced by: Keith Wickham (UK/US; fifteenth season onwards)Dart voiced by: Rupert Degas (UK/US; Day of the Diesels - sixteenth season), Steven Kynman (UK/US; seventeenth season onwards)Built: Den 1959/1971, Dart 1961Bases: 4DH Sentinel Diesel-Hydraulic (Den) Bagnall No.3207 "Leys" (Dart)
A pair of diesels that work at the Dieselworks.
- Big Guy, Little Guy: Den being the Big, and Dart the Little.
- Characterisation Marches On: In their earliest appearances, they sometimes joined the more antagonistic diesels if it fit their cause (though with implications they were still softer and less willing than Diesel or Diesel 10 who usually ran things). By Season 16 they are nearly always on good terms with the steam engines.
- A Day in the Limelight: Season 19's "Den and Dart".
- Dumb Muscle: Downplayed. Den is the bigger and stronger one of the two, but struggles to get his thoughts into words.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: Especially shown in "Den and Dart", where they can't stand being separated from one another.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: When Den saves Toby from a runaway truck, he scolds the trucks in a full sentence.
- Orange/Blue Contrast: Den's color scheme.
- Phrase Catcher: Den struggles to finish what he's trying to say, so other engines finish his thoughts for him, with "What you/he mean/s is..."
- Realistic Diction Is Unrealistic: Averted with Den, who mumbles, stutters, and loses his train of thought.
- Shorter Means Smarter: Dart is the smaller and weaker of the pair, but is quick-witted and able to figure out what Den's trying to say.
- Those Two Guys: Are regularly a double act. Their limelight episode "Den and Dart" lampshades this when a job separates them.
Paxton
- "Hi, Stephen. Thomas lost his puff, and I'm trying to find it, and... well, I thought that might be... the lost puff... up there..."Voiced in English by: Keith Wickham (Day of the Diesels), Steven Kynman (Blue Mountain Mystery, Series 23)Voiced in Japanese by: Koichi Sakaguchi (Day of the Diesels), Kunihiro Kawamoto (Blue Mountain Mystery - Series 23)Voiced in Latin American Spanish by: Kaihiamal Martínez (Day of the Diesels - Series 23)Basis: British Railways Class 08 0-6-0DMBuilt: 1952/1962
A soft-natured, if somewhat ditzy diesel who works with the Narrow Gauge engines in Blue Mountain Quarry. Friendly towards steamies, but tends to hang with a bad crowd.
- Ascended Extra: He started out as a background character who didn't speak, but Blue Mountain Mystery gave him a voice and personality. Since then, he's been a recurring supporting character and has even been granted his own limelight episodes.
- Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: Even worse than Thomas. Look at that duck!
- Big Damn Heroes: In Blue Mountain Mystery, just as Diesel rats out Luke to the Fat Controller, Paxton arrives with Victor, who clears up everything.
- Characterization Marches On: In his earliest appearances, Paxton was a background associate of the other diesels and often joined in heckling or tormenting other engines. "Blue Mountain Mystery" onward, his meek kindly persona is established.
- Chromatic Arrangement: Of the three diesel engines introduced in Day of the Diesels, he's the Green to Norman's Red and Sidney's Blue.
- Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Usually spacey, though he has occasional moments of clarity. He tries to warn Gordon to have his leaking boiler checked in "Gordon Runs Dry" for example.
- The Ditz: He is easily distracted.
- Extreme Doormat: Though he will often ultimately draw the line when pushed into callous acts.
- Foil: Both him and Diesel are both Class 08's, and Paxton is simply the kind, yet ditzy counterpart to the callous and manipulative Diesel.
- Kindhearted Simpleton: He is ditzy, but is one of the kindest diesels around.
- Minion with an F in Evil: To Diesel in "Blue Mountain Mystery". Also to Diesel 10 in "The Missing Christmas Decorations".
- Nice Guy: "Blue Mountain Mystery" onward, he's shown to be a pleasant and kind-hearted fellow; even Cranky gets along with him.
- Token Good Teammate: Like Boco and Mavis, he serves as one of the nicer diesels.
- Toxic Friend Influence: Hangs around with other more antagonistic diesels. Diesel in particular has been shown able to manipulate him into doing immoral deeds.
- Ends up playing this himself in "The Lost Puff" when he convinces Thomas to play on the damaged tracks. He is horrified when it causes an accident however.
- Windmill Crusader: Seems to be a recurring pivot in his limelight episodes, Comically Missing the Point in some way or other and going on a wild goose chase, be it for "lost puffs" or disappearing diesels.
Norman
- Voiced in English by: Kerry Shale (Day of the Diesels - Series 15), Keith Wickham (Series 17 - Series 23)Voiced in Japanese by: Ken Sanders (Day of the Diesels), Nobuaki Kanemitsu (Series 17), Kunihiro Kawamoto (Series 20 - Series 23)Voiced in Latin American Spanish by: Juan Alfonso Carralero (Series 17 - Series 23)Basis: Bulleid No. 11001
An orange-red Diesel and is Dennis's twin.
- Ascended Extra: Somewhat in The Great Race, where he nearly has a collision with Thomas.
- Big Ol' Unibrow: He has one.
- Chromatic Arrangement: Of the three diesel engines introduced in Day of the Diesels, he's the Red to Sidney's Blue and Paxton's Green.
- Demoted to Extra: He was introduced as a Merchandise-Driven character in Day of the Diesels, and was promptly banished to background appearances with no speaking roles shortly afterwards. Like Paxton and Sidney, he started appearing more often during Brenner's run as writer, though unlike them, he has yet to have A Day in the Limelight proper.
- Nice Guy: In comparison to his twin, he is much kinder and more of a hard worker.
- He's even nice to the steam engines.
- Polar Opposite Twins: Him and Dennis. Unlike Dennis who works fine, but is very lazy, Norman wants to be Really Useful, but breaks down often. While Dennis has two eyebrows, Norman has only one.
- The Reliable One: To the point The Fat Controller outright considers it O.O.C. Is Serious Business if Norman screws something up.
Sidney
- "What about me? I'm a decoration!"Voiced in English by: Kerry Shale (Day of the Diesels), Bob Golding (Series 17 - Series 23)Voiced in Japanese by: Shoto Kashii (Series 17, The Great Race), Ken Sanders (Series 18 - Series 23)Voiced in Latin American Spanish by: Andrés García (Series 17 - Series 18), Geno Sánchez (Series 20 - Series 23)Basis: British Railways Class 08 0-6-0DMBuilt: 1952/1962
- A Day in the Limelight: In Sidney Sings and The Case of the Puzzling Parts.
- The Alleged Car: Downplayed in that he was apparently otherwise functional, but he spent a good two years non-functional, stuck on a locomotive hoist without wheels of his own.
- Ascended Extra: He was promoted to the recurring cast in season 20, starring in his own episode, and has made many appearances since then.
- Butt-Monkey: He spent two years on a hoist before getting new wheels.
- Chromatic Arrangement: Of the three diesel engines introduced in Day of the Diesels, he's the Blue to Norman's Red and Paxton's Green.
- Forgetful Jones: Sidney's known for being forgetful, even forgetting how long he's gone without his wheels.
- Kindhearted Simpleton: He's not exactly the smartest engine in the shed, but he is one of the nicest engines on the island, even when he is up on a hoist.
- Minion with an F in Evil: Much like Paxton, he seems pretty docile and somewhat simple, despite hanging around with the other more antagonistic diesels.
- Token Good Teammate: Like Paxton and the other friendly diesels, he serves as one of the nicer ones.
- The Pollyanna: Despite his bad memory and luck, he tends to remain jolly and positive. He quite merrily waited two years hoisted up in the Dieselworks before finally getting his new wheels fitted.
- Put on a Bus: He hadn't been seen in any episodes between "Day of the Diesels" and "The Missing Christmas Decorations", spending two whole years unable to move because he lacked wheels.
