Diesel Does it Again

"What are you doing here?" "Your worthy Fat/Top - um, Sir Topham Hatt sent me. I hope you are pleased to see me again. I am to shunt some dreadfully tiresome trucks/cars." "Shunt where?" "Where? Why from here to there! And again from there to here! Easy, isn't it?"

- Duck, Diesel and Percy Diesel Does it Again is the eighth episode of the third series. It is based on the magazines stories Trouble in the Harbour Yard and Bumps.

Plot
Duck and Percy enjoy their work at the harbour yards pulling trucks to and from the quay, but the harbour is becoming busier than usual and the engines feel exhausted. The Fat Controller understands this and promises that another engine will come and help out. Percy and Duck are very glad to hear this and wait, but their relief turns to shock when the engine sent to help turns out to be Diesel. The two engines ask him what he is doing at the Docks, to which Diesel tells them that he is to shunt some dreadfully tiresome trucks and to make himself clear, he bumps some trucks hard.

Percy and Duck do not trust Diesel and refuse to work with him, not leaving the harbour shed. The Fat Controller is in his office enjoying his tea and iced bun when he gets a call on the telephone from the harbour master saying that there is trouble at the harbour yard. Diesel is working alone, and as a result, the work starts to pile up as the cargo and passengers are delayed on the quay. People soon start complaining about the railway.

The Fat Controller arrives and demands an explanation from Percy and Duck and they explain that they will not work with Diesel. Duck added that he thought he sent Diesel packing after their rivalry and when Diesel told lies about him. The Fat Controller tells the two that he has to give Diesel a second chance as he was the only engine available and is trying to help Percy and Duck out by bringing him to the harbour, demanding that the two go back to work. With no choice, Percy and Duck do as they are told.

Next morning, things are no better. Diesel's driver did not properly put his brakes on the night before and he bumps straight into Percy, frightening him and does not apologise. Later, Diesel bumps some trucks so hard that the loads spill everywhere. Percy and Duck are worried as to what the Fat Controller will say, but they do not tell him after Diesel threatens to brand them as telltales if they do.

The following day, Diesel, thinking he can get away with anything, becomes increasingly rude while he shunts some China Clay Trucks. He accidentally bangs the trucks through a set of unsecured buffers, sinking them into the sea. Though harbour workers safely recover the empty trucks from the ocean later that night, the china clay is unfortunately gone, and the Fat Controller is furious with Diesel upon hearing the news. He tells Diesel that he will be expelled for good, before he tells Duck and Percy that they will have to handle all the work by themselves again. Knowing that extra work is preferable to working with Diesel, Percy and Duck gladly go back to work as Diesel slinks away in disgrace.

Characters

 * Percy
 * Duck
 * Diesel
 * Troublesome Trucks
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Thomas
 * James
 * Stephen Hatt
 * Bridget Hatt
 * Sir Topham Hatt's Brown-haired Assistant
 * One Little Boy
 * Big Mickey
 * Bill or Ben

Locations

 * Brendam Docks
 * Sir Topham Hatt's Office

Trivia

 * A CGI series flashback of the scene where Diesel pushes the trucks into the water was later made for Diesel's Ghostly Christmas and the events were also later mentioned by Salty.
 * A tractor prop, S.S. Vienna, Big Mickey's models, the steel company, steel rig, the Fuel Depot Manager's office building, the coal hopper, various boats and cranes and the Fire station from TUGS are visible.
 * In the restored version:
 * The last few seconds of the scene of Diesel passing Duck and Percy before he bumped the trucks are cut off.
 * The Fat Controller's head is turned different when he said "What's all this?".
 * Percy stops rolling his eyes after Diesel bumps into him.
 * Diesel's eye movement is different when he calls Duck and Percy tattle-tales compared to the original version.
 * This episode aired alongside Escape on Storytime with Thomas.
 * In some releases of the US dub, as Duck tells the Fat Controller that they will not work with Diesel, the Thomas theme is faintly heard for about two seconds.
 * On the week this episode and Henry's Forest made their television debut, TV Times held a competition with the deadline of 1 May 1992. Fans had to write the correct names of three engines as pictured in a scene from Woolly Bear and send in their answers. Seven winners would receive an array of various assorted Thomas goods as their prize.
 * This is one of the two episodes to feature Duck's unused second series tired face with the other being the fourth series episode, Bowled Out as well as the return of his second series horrified face, but now with an annoyed look.
 * This episode marks the first time Diesel's unused second series shocked face is used.
 * In a few promotional images:
 * When Diesel bumps into Percy, he is wearing his snarling face instead of his usual angry face, thus marking the first time his said face is used. It was also used when Diesel bumps a Troublesome Truck instead of his devious face.
 * Percy has his correct tired face in the scene of both him and Duck exhausted from the hard work.
 * A deleted scene showed Duck and Percy in different spots when the Fat Controller questions their refusal to work with Diesel.
 * Though the trucks that Diesel pushes into the sea are not shown to have faces and were stated to be rescued in the English dubs and the other international dubs, the German dub states that the trucks drowned. This is the first time death has been explicitly mentioned in the television series, even though it was not until Toad and the Whale that the English dubs did so.

Goofs

 * In the first shot, steam can be seen emitting from the track before Percy runs over it.
 * When Percy and Duck are pulling trucks in the first shot, the steam under Percy goes off too late.
 * Percy has Thomas' tired face in one scene. He also wears Thomas' tired face for a brief scene in the eighth series episode, Percy's Big Mistake.
 * When Thomas is seen leaving the station, he blows off steam, but it suddenly disappears as another train comes in, thus indicating a film cut.
 * Diesel's wheels do not stop moving after he spills the loads. This is because the trucks he shoved actually hit the end of the set.
 * Diesel's eyes are misaligned when he bumps into Percy.
 * When Percy leaves at the end, steam can be seen coming from the track after he has gone.
 * In the original UK dub, Michael Angelis mispronounces "arrive" when Duck and Percy are waiting for the new engine.
 * The Fat Controller is missing his eyebrows when he scolds Diesel.
 * Percy's piston appears to be broken right before he gets bumped by Diesel.
 * A couple of expression mentioning errors include:
 * When Diesel says "Wake up, Percy!" the narrator says he was scowling, but he is smiling.
 * When Percy says, "What will the Fat Controller say?!" the narrator mentions him gasping, but he looks cross.
 * In some scenes throughout the episode, Percy's roof is lifted.
 * Percy's eyes are misaligned before the Fat Controller arrives about the disturbance.
 * When the narrator says that Diesel was working loud and alone, he jolts a bit to the side.
 * When Diesel calls Duck, and Percy tattletales, his right eye (viewers' left) moves slightly.

Quotes

 * Diesel: [approaches the shed] Good morning.
 * Duck: What are you doing here?!
 * Diesel: You're worthy Fat/Top - Sir Topham Hatt sent me. I hope you are pleased to see me again. I am to shunt some dreadfully tiresome trucks/cars.
 * Percy: Shunt where?
 * Diesel: Where? Why from here to there. And then again, from there to here. Easy, isn't it?
 * (he punctuates his point by bumping some trucks hard)

_______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________
 * Narrator: With that, Diesel as if to make himself quite clear, bumped some trucks/cars hard.
 * Trucks: OOH!!!
 * Diesel: Grrrr!!!
 * Percy: What will the Fat Controller/Sir Topham Hatt say?
 * Duck: He won't like it.
 * Diesel: So who's going to tell him I wonder? Two little goody-goody tattletales like you, I suppose?
 * Narrator: Percy and Duck did not want to be tattletales. So they said nothing.
 * The Fat Controller: [to Diesel, after his mishap with the trucks earlier] The harbo(u)r master has told me everything.  Things worked much better here before you arrived. I shall not be inviting you back! Now, Duck and Percy, I hope you won't mind having to handle the work by yourselves again.
 * Percy: Oh, no, Sir.
 * Duck: Yes, please, Sir.

Merchandise

 * Buzz Books - Diesel Does it Again

Home Media Releases
{{Scroll box|

UK

 * Time for Trouble and other stories
 * Thomas Gets Bumped and 17 Other Stories
 * Ghost Train and other stories/Time for Trouble and other stories
 * The Complete Series 3

DVD Boxsets

 * Classic Collection

WAL

 * Thomas the Tank Engine: Bumper Special 1

US

 * Thomas Gets Bumped and Other Stories
 * Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 3

CAN

 * Thomas Gets Bumped and Other Stories

DVD Packs

 * Totally Thomas Volume 8

AUS

 * Time of Trouble and Other Stories
 * The Complete Series 3
 * My First Thomas with Diesel

DVD Boxsets

 * Complete Series 1-10
 * My First Thomas
 * Classic Collection
 * Series Three and Series Four Double Pack

NZ

 * Time for Trouble and other stories
 * Bumper Video Collection Volume 4
 * Thomas Train Set Compilation Video Volume 2

KOR

 * Stories to Raise Cooperation

JPN

 * Thomas the Tank Engine Vol.13
 * I Will Not Loose to the Diesel
 * The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 1 Vol.4
 * The Complete DVD Box 1

PHL

 * Time for Trouble

NL

 * The Ghost Train
 * The Greatest Stories: The Adventures of Edward, Toby and the Diesels

UKR

 * A Train Thomas and Friends

GER

 * A World-Famous Locomotive and 4 Other Adventures
 * Thomas and His Friends Vol. 6
 * Rail Free for Steam and Diesel!

NOR

 * Anniversary
 * Thomas, Percy and the Post Train

FIN

 * Thomas, Percy and the Post Train

DK

 * Now There Will Be Trouble and Other Stories

MYS

 * Diesel Does it Again and Other Thomas Adventures
 * Donald's Duck and Other Adventures

IND

 * Ghost Train and Other Stories

ITA

 * On Christmas Eve

SER

 * Thomas the Tank Engine 6

GRC

 * A Lively Companionship

CHN

 * Thomas and Friends Season 1-4

THA

 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 9

HK
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 * Thomas and Friends Volume 6
 * Thomas and Friends Volume 10

Diesel lo Hace de Nuevo דיזל עושה את זה שוב ディーゼルがかえってきた Powrót Diesla Дизель снова это делает