Air date: April 14th, 1992 (UK), December 17th, 1991 (US)
Adapted from: The magazine stories "Trouble in the Harbour Yard" and "Bumps"
Work at the harbor is becoming more difficult for Duck and Percy, so another engine is sent to help them. Unfortunately, much to their horror, Diesel is the only engine available and when the two see him, they are furious and refuse to work. However, as they have refused to work with Diesel, cargo lies unmoved on the quay and passengers are delayed.
The Fat Controller demands answers for Percy and Duck's insubordination. The two engines explain that they're on strike, having thought Diesel was sent in disgrace. The Fat Controller explains that he had given Diesel a second chance and orders both engines to return to their work. This still doesn't help Percy and Duck that much as Diesel becomes unbearable: he bumps into Percy from behind without apologizing, then spills some cargo, then bullies the others into not telling the Fat Controller about his misbehavior.
Eventually, Diesel, who is even more troublesome than ever, went too far when he carelessly pushes several trucks of china clay into the sea. Luckily for Percy and Duck, the Fat Controller finds out soon enough about what Diesel has done. He furiously reprimands Diesel for the disgraceful actions he did and expels him in disgrace again. Percy and Duck are more than happy to deal with the extra work again, rather than continue to deal with Diesel, who is now expelled again.
Tropes featured in the episode:
- Achilles in His Tent: After realizing that Diesel is going to help with the work in the harbour, Percy and Duck refuse to come out of their sheds. It didn't last long as the Fat Controller orders them to work with Diesel since he's given him a second chance and was the only engine available.
- Adaptational Villainy: In the Railway Series story Thomas and the Evil Diesel, Diesel returned again and still demonstrated a bad attitude, but would redeem himself after helping Thomas during a mishap, actually leaving the railway on good terms. But in his fourth appearance here, Diesel proves as nasty as ever and is kicked out in disgrace again; this time, for bumping into Percy without apologizing, bully the others into not telling the Fat Controller about his misbehavior, and worst of all, bumping the trucks of china clay into the sea that resulted in Diesel being kicked out of the railway again. It would take several more failed revisits before Diesel's redeeming side would be shown.
- Bowdlerization: An inversion. The German dub states that the trucks drowned after Diesel sank them. The original English dub has the trucks being rescued.
- Call-Back: Duck recalls how Diesel was sent packing in "A Close Shave" and is hurt that he returned to the railway.
- Continuity Nod: Diesel once more stumbles over his honorifics for the Fat Controller, until he corrects himself.
- The Freelance Shame Squad: Percy and Duck look very amused as Diesel is being scolded and expelled by the Fat Controller.
- Killed Off for Real: The sunken trucks in the German dub.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Almost immediately after pushing the trucks filled with china clay into the harbor, Diesel is kicked out of the railway by Sir Topham Hatt. And unlike last time, it isn't Offscreen Karma either.
- Nobody Likes a Tattletale: Devious Diesel is brought to Brendam Docks to help Duck and Percy out with the extra work. However, given Diesel's reputation as a troublemaker, Duck and Percy are naturally wary of him. At one point, Diesel bumps into a line of trucks so hard that he spills their loads all over the dockyard. When Percy and Duck see this, they say they know Sir Topham Hatt won't like it. Diesel overhears them and asks them, "So who's going to tell him, I wonder? Two goody-goody tattletales like you, I suppose?" Not wanting to be called tattletales, Percy and Duck say nothing.
- The Unapologetic: Diesel accidentally bumps into Percy from behind, which startled him. The narrator makes it explicit that he didn't even apologize. This is one of the disgraceful actions that resulted in Diesel being expelled by the Fat Controller for the second time.
