History Recap / TheRailwaySeriesB13DuckAndTheDieselEngine

** Then in "Dirty Work", Diesel manages to pull this off on Duck after this. This is a rare case of the trope though, as Duck actually ''tries'' to stand up for Diesel before this, but the 08 [[UngratefulBastard doesn't take this well]].

* NotSoHarmlessVillain: The trucks are more dangerous in "A Close Shave" than in most stories, where they are usually LaughablyEvil. This is because they try to push Duck into the back of a passenger train, which would have likely resulted in the deaths of many innocent passengers had Duck not held them back in time to be diverted into a siding.

** The book that kicked off the Steam/Diesel rivalry in later stories. [[note]]Though, even if Diesel didn't come to Sodor, it may have cropped up later with steam engines escaping the cutters torch because of diesels in the first place.[[/note]] In this case however, the two engines, while imperious about their lineage, are spiteful to each other more out of personal hubris.

* JerkassHasAPoint: While his retaliation was out of line, Diesel is right that Duck intentionally withheld details about the trucks he was meant to shunt. The Fat Controller had specifically told Duck to teach Diesel the ropes, and while Diesel was being very vain about it, he was cooperating and doing his job until Duck set him up, ruining his first impression and making him a laughing stock with the trucks. Even Duck, upon seeing the consequences, seems to realise that the joke went a bit too far.

* LethallyStupid: The barber endangers his customers [[TooDumbToLive and himself]] by setting up shop at the end of a train track without any buffers. Fortunately, ArtisticLicense prevents them from being killed by Duck crashing through the wall.

* LethallyStupid: The barber endangers his customers by setting up shop at the end of a train track without any buffers. Fortunately, ArtisticLicense prevents them from being killed by Duck crashing through the wall.

* LethallyStupid: Seriously, who builds a barber shop ''at the end of a train track''?! Bonus stupidity points for the ''lack of any buffers''.

* ArtisticLicensePhysics: It’s most likely that the barber and his customers would... ''not'' have survived Duck crashing into the barber shop if this was RealLife.

* JerkassHasAPoint: While his retaliation was out of line, Diesel is right that Duck intentionally withheld details about the trucks he was meant to shunt. The Fat Controller had specifically told Duck to teach Diesel the ropes, and while Diesel was being very vain about it, he was cooperating and doing his job until Duck set him up.

* UnbuiltTrope: This is the first steam vs diesel storyline in the series, however, since diesels have not yet been established as a threat, the FantasticRacism of the feud is not present here, and is instead just a petty clash of egos between two lineage-proud engines brought about by simple boasting and pranks. The other steam engines in fact are won over by Diesel at first due to his flattering comments, making him a VillainWithGoodPublicity early on rather than the usual open scorn other antagonistic diesels have.

* {{Deconstruction}}: In all the books leading up to this installment, whenever an arrogant character gets put in the place by the protagonist, that’s the end of it. Awdry turns this narrative on its head by having the antagonist retaliate.

* YouShallNotPass: Duck holds off a RunawayTrain of twenty cars from crashing into a passenger train.

* TheBarber: The crosby barber appears in the last story.

* TooDumbToLive: The barber and his customers conduct their business at the end of a train track, with no buffers for protection. [[FailedASpotCheck They never realize anything wrong with this.]] They would have all been seriously injured at best and most likely killed, if the same accident happened in real life.

* RejectedApology: Despite Duck telling off the trucks for their singing, Diesel blames him for making them do that in the first place, and this leads to him telling lies about Duck.

* KickTheSonOfABitch: The troublesome trucks sing rudely to Diesel, who was earlier [[FantasticRacism eager to show off what he could do to prove his point to the steam engines]].

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: This is the first steam vs diesel storyline, however, since diesels have not yet been established as a threat, the FantasticRacism of the feud is not present here, and is instead just a petty clash of egos between two engines brought about by simple boasting and pranks. The other steam engines in fact are won over by Diesel at first due to his flattering comments.

* YouDidntAsk: Diesel asks if Duck wants the arranged, yet jammed trucks, but Duck tells him he already has a lot, and didn't tell Diesel because he didn't ask.

* TooDumbToLive: The barber and his customers conduct their business at the end of a train track, with no buffers for protection. [[FailedASpotCheck They never realise anything wrong with this.]] They would have all been seriously injured at best and most likely killed, if the same accident happened in real life.

* HumiliationConga: Duck goes through this. He is alienated by the other engines due to Diesel's manipulations, he is sadly sent to Edward station by The Fat Controller, gets pushed into a barber shop by 20 heavy-loaded trucks, and lastly, he gets lathered with shaving cream by the barber.

* GreeneEyedMonster: Gordon towards the City of Truro.

* FirstDayFromHell: After Diesel brags too much for Duck's liking, he is left to shunt in the yard alone. He first tries to collect the wrong line of trucks, which prove so old and dilapidated that their brakes stick and they fall apart as Diesel tries to fetch them out. He is then forced to help clear up the mess left while the other trucks laugh relentlessly over the humiliating incident, leaving Diesel holding an intense grudge towards Duck for intentionally letting him make a fool of himself.
* GreeneyedMonster: Gordon towards the City of Truro.

* ArtisticLicensePhysics: It is most likely that the barber and his customers would... ''not'' have survived Duck crashing into the barber shop if this was RealLife.

** Gordon's vendetta against "domeless engines", albeit inspired by jealousy more than anything else.

* LethallyStupid: Seriously, who builds a barber shop ''at the end of a train track''!? Bonus stupidity points for the ''lack of any buffers''.