History Recap / ThomasTheTankEngineS2E12PopGoesTheDiesel

'''Air date''': October 29th, 1986

'''Adapted from''': ''[[Recap/TheRailwaySeriesB13DuckAndTheDieselEngine Duck and the Diesel Engine]]'', "Pop Goes the Diesel"

[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/320px-popgoesthediesel7_8527.jpg]]

Duck is proud of being a Great Western engine and talks endlessly about it, but works hard too and makes everything go like clockwork. Since Duck came around, things on The Fat Controller's railway are going well; the coaches and trucks behave well and the passengers have stopped grumbling. However, the big engines are irritated with Duck's boasting about his Great Western heritage.

Soon, a new engine named Diesel arrives to the Island of Sodor. Duck is ordered by The Fat Controller to teach him what he can do in the yard since he is given a trial. Diesel introduces himself to the engines, and Gordon, Henry and James ware flattered by his polite manners, but Duck doesn't take a liking to Diesel's oily nature.

As Duck and Diesel arrive to the yard, Duck's dislike of him is mutual as he firmly orders him to refer The Fat Controller as "Sir Topham Hatt". Diesel smugly tells him that he doesn't have to be told what to do and that diesels know everything and that diesels always come to a yard and improve them; diesels are revolutionary. Duck, who doesn't correctly pronounce "revolutionary", orders him to collect his trucks as he shunts Gordon's Express train. Eager to show off, Diesel goes to work.

When Duck returns, Diesel is trying to take some trucks on a siding. The trucks are old, empty and haven't been touched for a long time. This gives Diesel a difficult time in pulling them. Duck is eager to see how this would go. A frustrated Diesel begins to get rough with the trucks; he gives a great heave, causing some of their brakes to snap and their gears to be jammed. Diesel tries moving them back, but they don't move.

Duck arrives with the other trucks Diesel arranged and thanks him for arranging it. Diesel asks if he wanted the old ones, but Duck declines. Flustered about this, Diesel asks Duck why didn't he tell him about it, but Duck tells him that he never asked and reminds him that he was too busy trying to show off what diesels can do. Duck leaves happily while Diesel growls with disgust.

Later, Diesel reluctantly helps the workman to clear up the mess while the troublesome trucks laugh and sing at him. As the mess is cleared, Diesel goes to sulk in the shed very angry with the trucks and Duck.

!!Tropes are waiting in the yard... ([[YMMV/ThomasTheTankEngineS2E12PopGoesTheDiesel YMMV here]]):
* ArtifactTitle: The episode name (and the trucks' song) seems to derive from a point in the [[Recap/TheRailwaySeriesB13DuckAndTheDieselEngine novel version]] in which Diesel pulls so hard the trucks' coupling snaps and sends him hurtling across the line, which isn't adapted into the episode. [[note]]Though it would later be put into Season 6's [[Recap/ThomasTheTankEngineS6E11TheWorldsStrongestEngine "The World's Strongest Engine]]".[[/note]]
* BitchInSheepsClothing: Diesel.
* {{Bowdlerisation}}: In Ringo Starr's narration, during the point where Diesel starts complaining to Duck about how the Fat Controller said that he needs to learn, he starts off by trying to refer to him as "Your worthy Fat Controller" before Duck corrects him with "Sir Topham Hatt to you". Meanwhile, George Carlin's narration has him start to say "Your worthy Topham Hatt", and Duck corrects him in almost the same way but with a particular emphasis on "Sir".
* BreakTheHaughty: Diesel suffers this.
* DelusionsOfEloquence: Duck has a hard time pronouncing the word "revolution" and calls it "revothingumy".
* ADogNamedDog: Diesel, obviously.
* FantasticRacism: This episode marks the beginning of the rivalry between steam engines and diesels.
* {{Giggling Villain}}s: This was the first time the trucks are given high-pitched giggling.
* KarmicTrickster: While not directly, Duck has no problem watching Diesel go on a wild goose chase with some dilapidated trucks after he proves conceited.
* KickTheSonOfABitch: The troublesome trucks sing rudely to Diesel, who was earlier [[FantasticRacism eager in showing off what he could do to prove his point to steam engines]].
* ObviouslyEvil: Diesel has black paint, a sinister smile, a sinister {{Leitmotif}}, and a shady voice that flatters the other engines.
* SmallNameBigEgo: Duck is quite vocal about his Great Western heritage, much to the annoyance of Gordon, Henry, and James.
-->'''Duck''': "There are two ways of doing things: The Great Western Way or the wrong way. I'm Great Western and..."\\
'''Other engines''': [[DeadpanSnarker Don't we know it!]]
** RightlySelfRighteous: However, as the narration points out, Duck still works hard and makes the railway run like clockwork. Diesel arguably plays the SmallNameBigEgo trope more straight.
* StoryArc: This is the beginning of the "Duck and Diesel" story arc, which continues in the next two episodes.
* TheVillainSucksSong: The [[TitleDrop title of the episode]]. The Troublesome Trucks sing a parody of "Pop Goes The Weasel" in regards to Diesel's failure in pulling the trucks:
--> "Trucks/Cars are waiting in the yard, Tackling them with ease'll,\\
"Show the world what I can do," Gaily boasts the Diesel,\\
In and out he creeps about, Like a big black weasel,\\
When he pulls the wrong trucks/cars out, [[TitleDrop Pop Goes The Diesel]]!"
* VisionaryVillain: 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!"
* 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.
----

Duck is proud of being a Great Western engine and talks endlessly about it, but works hard too and makes everything go like clockwork. Since Duck came around, things on The Fat Controller's railway Are going well; the coaches and trucks behav well and the passengers have stopped grumbling. However, the big engines are irritated with Duck's boasting about his Great Western heritage.

As Duck and Diesel arrive to the yard, Duck's dislike of him is mutual as he firmly orders him to refer The Fat Controller as "Sir Topham Hatt". Diesel smugly tells him that he doesn't have to be told what to do and that diesels know everything and that diesels always come to a yard and improve them; diesels are revolutionary. Duck, who doesn't correctly pronounced "revolutionary", orders him to collect his trucks as he shunts Gordon's Express train. Eager to show off, Diesel goes to work.

* ArtifactTitle: The episode name (and the trucks' song) seems to derive from a point in the [[Recap/TheRailwaySeriesB13DuckAndTheDieselEngine novel version]] in which Diesel pulls so hard the trucks' coupling snaps and sends him hurtling across the line, which isn't adapted into the episode. [[note]]Though it would later be put into Season 6's [[Recap/ThomasTheTankEngineS6E11TheWorldsStrongestEngine "World Strongest Engine".[[/note]]

* ArtifactTitle: The episode name (and the trucks' song) seems to derive from a point in the [[Recap/TheRailwaySeriesB13DuckAndTheDieselEngine novel version]] in which Diesel pulls so hard the trucks' coupling snaps and sends him hurtling across the line, which isn't adapted into the episode.

* [[ADogNamedDog: Diesel, obviously.

* [[ADogNamedDog A Diesel Named Diesel]]

--> "Trucks are waiting in the yard, Tackling them with ease'll,\\
Show the world what I can do, Gaily boast the Diesel,\\

When he pulls the wrong trucks out, [[TitleDrop Pop Goes The Diesel]]!"

!!Tropes featured in the episode ([[YMMV/ThomasTheTankEngineS2E12PopGoesTheDiesel YMMV here]]):

'''Air date''': October 29th, 1986 (UK), May 7th, 1989 (US)

'''Air date''': October 13th, 1986 (UK), May 7th, 1989 (US), December 17th, 1991 (George Carlin US)

Duck is proud of being a Great Western engine and talks endlessly about it, but works hard too and makes everything go like clockwork. Since Duck came around, things on The Fat Controller's railway were going well; the coaches and trucks behaved well and the passengers have stopped grumbling. However, the big engines were irritated with Duck's boasting about his Great Western heritage.

Soon, a new engine named Diesel arrives to the Island of Sodor. Duck is ordered by The Fat Controller to teach him what he can do in the yard since he is given a trial. Diesel introduces himself to the engines, and Gordon, Henry, and James were flattered by his polite manners, but Duck didn't take a liking to Diesel's oily nature.

As Duck and Diesel arrive to the yard, Duck's dislike of him became mutual as he firmly orders him to refer The Fat Controller "Sir Topham Hatt". Diesel smugly tells him that he doesn't have to be told what to do and that diesels know everything and that diesels always come to a yard and improve them; diesels are revolutionary. Duck, who didn't correctly pronounced "revolutionary", orders him to collect his trucks as he shunts Gordon's Express train. Eager to show off, Diesel goes to work.

When Duck returned, Diesel was taking some trucks on a siding, but it appears to fetch the wrong ones. They were old, empty, and haven't been touched for a long time. This gave Diesel a difficult time in pulling them. Duck was eager to see how this would go. A frustrated Diesel begins to get rough with the trucks; he gave a great heave, causing some of their brakes to snap and their gears to be jammed. Diesel tries moving them back, but they didn't move.

Duck arrives with the other trucks and thanks Diesel for arranging them. Diesel asks if he wanted them, but Duck declines. Flustered about this, Diesel asks why didn't he tell him about, but Duck tells him that he never asked and reminds him that he was too busy trying to show off what diesels can do. Duck leaves happily while Diesel growls with disgust.

Later, Diesel reluctantly helps the workman to clear up the mess while the troublesome trucks laugh and sing at Diesel. As the mess was cleared, Diesel sulks in the shed very angry with the trucks and Duck.

* ArtifactTitle: The episode name (and the trucks' song) seems to derive from a point in the [[Recap/TheRailwaySeriesB13DuckAndTheDieselEngine novel version]] in which Diesel pulls so hard the trucks' coupling snaps and sends him hurtling across the line, which is not adapted into the episode.

* LooksLikeSheIsEnjoyingIt: The trucks made a very... suggestive sound when Diesel forcefully pulls them.

-->'''Duck''': "There are two ways of doing things: The Great Western Way or the wrong way. I'm Great Western and..."
-->'''Other engines''': [[DeadpanSnarker Don't we know it!]]

--> "Trucks are waiting in the yard, Tackling them with ease'll,
--> Show the world what I can do, Gaily boast the Diesel,
--> In and out he creeps about, Like a big black weasel,
--> When he pulls the wrong trucks out, [[TitleDrop Pop Goes The Diesel]]!"
* StoryArc: This is the beginning of the "Duck and Diesel" story arc, which continues in the next two episodes.

* EvilIsSexy: Diesel's sinister nature, oily voice and slinky theme song are as sexy as a locomotive can be.

* ArtifactTitle: The episode name (and the trucks' song) seems to derive from a point in the [[Literature/DuckAndTheDieselEngine novel version]] in which Diesel pulls so hard the trucks' coupling snaps and sends him hurtling across the line, which is not adapted into the episode.