Diesel 10

"Yes, ten out of ten for devious deeds and brutal strength - the blast from the past, who hates steam engines!"

- Thomas describes Diesel 10 Diesel 10, or simply Diesel, is an evil diesel engine with an excavator claw arm, which he has named "Pinchy". He once had two minions named Splatter and Dodge, but they eventually turned on him. He is often considered to be the main antagonist of Thomas & Friends.

He primarily works on Sodor collecting scrap metal from the trackside.

Thomas and the Magic Railroad
Diesel 10 once visited the Island of Sodor a long time ago and caused trouble for the steam engines while he was there. During his visit, he found Lady, the engine responsible for keeping Sodor alive, and chased her, making her crash. Following the accident, Lady's caretaker, Burnett Stone, hid Lady in his workshop and tried to restore her, but failed to bring her back up to steam.

Several years later, Diesel 10 returned to Sodor while Sir Topham Hatt was on holiday, intending to destroy Lady forever. He was first seen by Thomas and Gordon when he raced past them at Killaban Station, and brought his two lapdogs, Splatter and Dodge, to the railway, who were present when he was scheming. He caused several problems for the steam engines, such as dumping sneezing powder around Tidmouth Sheds and later destroying the scaffolding that had been placed beside the shed.

When Mr. Conductor travelled across Sodor to find the windmill, Diesel 10 found him and held him over the Big Dipper, intending to drop him. However, Mr. Conductor managed to escape by cutting one of the hydraulics hoses to his claw with a pair of wire cutters, causing him to fling Mr. Conductor across the island and to the windmill much to his rage. Diesel 10 was later present at the Coaling Plant, where he was covered in coal when he was teaching Splatter and Dodge "How to Stop Being Stupid." After Junior flew in the air after riding the windmill's sails, he landed on Diesel 10's cab, who raced across the island and to the smelter's yard, where he tried to push James and Junior into the melting pot. Fortunately, Junior and James managed to escape by using the last of the former's gold dust.

After Lady was brought back up into steam and returned to Sodor, Diesel 10 found her and began chasing her, Thomas and Burnett across the Kirk Ronan sites, until they reached the Big Dipper, but not before Splatter and Dodge betrayed him. Lady, Burnett and Thomas managed to cross the Big Dipper safely while it was collapsing, but it had already done so by the time Diesel 10 came over it and he fell into a barge of sludge below the bridge and was sent away in disgrace.

Thomas & Friends
Diesel 10 soon returned to Sodor (supposedly after the Fat Controller decided to give him a second chance) and was seen working at the scrapyard, loading piles of scrap into some trucks. The very sight of him caused Thomas and Percy to shudder in fright. Thomas decided they should come back once Diesel 10 was gone and they both ran away. However, Thomas came across Diesel 10 again, who was helping to clear the blocked track after a huge storm. Thomas didn't want to be near him again and ran away.

When the steam and diesel engines were holding a meeting at the coaling plant so that they could work on the Sodor Airport, Thomas was sent to the scrapyards to inform Diesel 10 of the meeting. However, Thomas was too frightened to meet Diesel 10 again and sped away as fast as he could, not believing that Diesel 10 would want to help the steam engines due to their difficulties in the past.

Soon, the airport was nearly complete with its construction, until a water tower collapsed, cracking the runway and blocking the line. With Harvey all the way on the other side of the island, Thomas decided to ask Diesel 10 for assistance, knowing he was the only one left who could help. After some slight hesitation, Diesel 10 agreed to help clear the wreckage.

After Thomas was found prior to the reopening of Great Waterton, Diesel 10 was among the diesels present at the quarry when they heard the news. Later, when the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre was opened, Diesel 10 was present at the rescue centre's grand opening, standing on a cliffside overlooking the rescue centre and the steam engines below, threatening to return.

When Percy was experiencing a falling-out with Thomas, Diesel 10 decided to manipulate him into helping him restore the Vicarstown Dieselworks, by having him visit the Dieselworks and befriend him. Diesel 10 managed to convince Thomas to arrive at the Dieselworks, where he was held hostage while he, Percy and the other diesels went to the Sodor Steamworks. Once there, Diesel 10 betrayed Percy and took over the Steamworks. Percy returned to the Dieselworks to rescue Thomas when he noticed that sparks from Pinchy had set the main building ablaze. Percy brought Belle and Flynn to put out the fire. After Thomas was saved and the fire was put out, Percy, Kevin and the rest of the Steam Team went to the Steamworks. After a brief argument with the diesels, the Fat Controller arrived and, after being told about the state of the Dieselworks, agreed to have the place restored, but not before severely scolding Diesel 10 for his actions. Diesel 10 and the other diesels worked alongside the steam engines to restore the Dieselworks.

When it was Christmas time, Diesel 10 became jealous of the steam engines for having more decorations at Tidmouth Sheds than he and the diesels had at the Dieselworks. He began stealing decorations from the sheds to bring to the Dieselworks, enlisting a reluctant Paxton to help him. Diesel 10 was caught by Percy, who chased him back to the Dieselworks with the rest of the Steam Team, where Diesel 10 found out that the Fat Controller had, in fact, had Paxton deliver some decorations to the Dieselworks, so he gave the decorations back to the Steam Team. But as most of them had been damaged, he gave them the Dieselworks' decorations too the next day, as he and the other diesels considered Sidney to be a good enough decoration.

Personality
Diesel 10 is an evil, villainous, manipulative, mischievous, and ravenous diesel engine who basically acts like a tyrannical boss-like figure to Splatter and Dodge. He absolutely despises steam engines, would call them taunting names like "Puffball", "Teapot" and "Tin Kettle" and is not above doing anything to get rid of them if possible. He is Sodor's strongest (but not quite largest) diesel, his power being enforced by his slightly malfunctioning claw, Pinchy. He can use this deftly, and is even able to use it to make a sculpture. Pinchy, though, seems to have a mind of its own, as it has been shown to "punch" Diesel 10 in the face from time to time, which he loathes. All engines, steam and diesel alike, fear or respect him.

In Calling All Engines!, Diesel 10 is still evil and raving, however, a chunk of it seems to have been removed (probably due to the writers thinking he would be too scary for children) as he helps Thomas and the other engines at the airport.

From Day of the Diesels onwards, Diesel 10 is shown to have a lack of patience, as demonstrated when he claims that Sir Topham Hatt only listens to steam engines. This trait would also be shown in The Missing Christmas Decorations, where he claims that the steam engines have more decorations than he and the other diesels do and that everyone likes steamies better than diesels. Both times, however, he is revealed to be wrong in his beliefs, and both cowered under Sir Topham Hatt's fury and silently fumed when he realised he wasted so much time for a redundant and pointless endgoal.

Despite this, in the magazine story Creepy Claw, he helped Henry when some of his logs broke loose and even helped him in getting back at 'Arry and Bert.

Basis
Diesel 10 is based on a British Rail (BR) Class 42 diesel-hydraulic engine with an added non-regulation hydraulic claw. All but two members of the class were named after Royal Navy warships, so they, and the similar Class 43 (not to be confused with the InterCity 125 power cars with the same class number, the basis for The Railway Series characters Pip and Emma), were nicknamed "Warships". Two of these engines are preserved, D821 Greyhound and D832 Onslaught. It is possible that Diesel 10 was based on D832 Onslaught as ordered by British Railways before he had Pinchy installed.

In real life, adding in a hydraulic claw onto a diesel engine would most likely be considered illegal, if it was not approved by government authorities.

Livery
Diesel 10 is painted yellow ochre with tan stripes along his sides. His buffer beams are painted red with black buffers. "Pinchy" is entirely painted dark brown.

Appearances
Television Series= {{Scroll box|

Thomas & Friends

 * Series 17 - The Missing Christmas Decorations
 * Series 22 - What Rebecca Does

Specials

 * 2000 - Thomas and the Magic Railroad
 * 2005 - Calling All Engines!
 * 2008 - The Great Discovery
 * 2010 - Misty Island Rescue
 * 2011 - Day of the Diesels

Music Videos

 * Calling All Engines! - Trying, Together and Engine Roll Call
 * Series 10 - There's Always Something New, Strength and Engine Roll Call
 * Day of the Diesels - Day of the Diesels
 * Thomas' YouTube World Tour - A World Around You
 * Series 21 - Trying
 * Series 22 - All the Girls Around the World

Storytime
}}
 * Series 1 - Thomas and the Beanstalk
 * -|Other Media=

Official Description
2000-2012= From Official Website

From Official Website
 * -|2013-2021=

Audio Files
Horns

In Calling All Engines! only, Diesel 10 reuses Salty's horn sound from the seventh series, which is also Patrick's horn.

In some merchandise and the mobile games, Magical Tracks and Go Go Thomas! (2018 version), Diesel 10 is incorrectly portrayed with Derek's/Salty's current horn sound.

In Engines Working Together, Diesel 10 is incorrectly portrayed with Derek and Salty's horn at a lower pitch.

In Little Engines Easy Reading: Day of the Diesels in the mobile app, Read and Play!, Diesel 10 is incorrectly portrayed with "Devious" Diesel's horn.

Whistle

In the Sing Along mode of Engines Working Together, Diesel 10 is incorrectly portrayed with a whistle, despite him being a diesel and having a horn. His whistle in the game is Thomas' whistle.

Trivia

 * In an original version of the Thomas and the Magic Railroad script, Diesel 10 was to have been a new engine to the island, and Pinchy was going to be concealed beneath Diesel 10's roof. These were kept in the book, Diesel 10 Means Trouble. The magazine story "Left Alone" also possibly has him illustrated without his claw.
 * Also, when Neil Crone replaced Keith Scott as the voice of Diesel 10, he initially had a Russian accent. However, due to complaints from test audiences, who believed it could be considered offensive, it was changed to a New Jersey accent.
 * In the leaked workprint from 2020, Diesel 10's lines are performed by either Keith Scott in most lines and an unknown temp actor (most likely the editor) who speaks in an American accent (who also dubs over P.T. Boomer's lines whenever Doug Lennox is not onscreen) of the rest.
 * "Pinchy" was originally built with no gaps between its buckets, which carried onto early promotional arts/illustrations.
 * Diesel 10 only appeared in Thomas and the Magic Railroad and Thomas & Friends specials until the seventeenth series of Thomas & Friends, where he appeared in an episode for the first time. The seventeenth series also marked his final appearance in the series to date.
 * Outside of Thomas and the Magic Railroad, Pinchy has not been named, and is simply referred to as a claw.
 * Some of Diesel 10's production-made face masks are now owned by Twitter user ThomasTankMerch.
 * In early concept art, Diesel 10 had his name painted on his side. In addition, his claw bucket was smaller, his arm was designed differently and he had three brake pipes, whereas his final model only had one.
 * Diesel 10 has never been seen with a driver, nor has he been mentioned at all, nor has he been seen pulling any kind of rolling stock.
 * Diesel 10's Ertl toy depicts him as a BR Class 46 with an added claw. This is due to re-using Diesel 199's tooling but with modifications.
 * Diesel 10 is the first villain in the series' films and specials, to be an arch-nemesis of the main protagonists.
 * Rebecca had a claw like Pinchy during the fantasy scene in the twenty-second series episode, What Rebecca Does.
 * Despite Britt Allcroft claiming that it just popped into her mind, it is believed that Diesel 10's name is a reference to him being the tenth diesel engine to be introduced into Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends.
 * Diesel 10's horn sound from the seventeenth series was reused from the Theodore Tugboat ferry characters Philip and Filmore.
 * His horn was also reused for a boat in the 1987 film Overboard, a ship in the Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries episode, A Ticket to Crime, a garbage boat in the Family Guy episode, Pawtucket Pete, and in Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties. It was also reused for Gustavo, albeit 3 pitches lower.
 * However, in Engines Working Together, his horn sound is Derek's at a lower pitch.
 * In Calling All Engines is the same as Salty's seventh and Patrick's, even though Salty had Derek's horn, but two steps higher-pitched in the same special and the eighth series.
 * In some merchandise of him and the two mobile games, Magical Tracks and the 2018 version of Go, Go Thomas!, his horn sound is Derek's/Salty's current horn sound at regular pitch.
 * Diesel 10 had a total of eight facial expressions, one of which, a cringed face, was never shown on-screen. There have also been copies of some of his faces as well.
 * Due to the limitations of his Gauge 1 model, the bottom half of Pinchy's bucket was unable to move until his return in CGI.
 * Diesel 10 was the only character introduced in Thomas and the Magic Railroad to appear in CGI, though Splatter and Dodge were considered to appear in both Day of the Diesels and The Great Race.
 * In the prototype version of his 2000 Wooden Railway toy, his claw was white, his paint was yellow, his stripes were white on both sides and he was depicted as a BR Class 40. This is due to re-using Class 40's tooling but with modifications.
 * Although "Pinchy" is painted dark brown, much of the lighting in the model series makes it appear to be a lighter shade, whereas the lighting in the CGI series makes it appear almost black. His merchandise also use various lighter shades of brown.

Quotes
"GET OUTTA MY WAY! I have unfinished business here, and I wanna finish it FAST!"

- Diesel 10's introduction, Thomas and the Magic Railroad

"Puffball! Teapot! TIN KETTLE!""

- Diesel 10 falling off the viaduct, Thomas and the Magic Railroad

"Oh, well. Nice time of the year for a cruise."

- Diesel 10 after landing in a barge filled with sludge.

"You'll be laughing on the other side of your boilers soon, silly steamies!"

- Diesel 10, Misty Island Rescue, foreshadowing his return in Day of the Diesels

Merchandise

 * Ertl
 * Wooden Railway
 * Brio
 * Take Along
 * Take-n-Play
 * Motor Road and Rail
 * TrackMaster
 * Motorized Railway
 * Thomas Engine Collection Series
 * Mini Die Cast Collection
 * Thomas Town
 * Capsule Collection
 * De Agostini
 * Tomica
 * Trading Cards
 * Nakayoshi
 * Capsule Plarail
 * Pocket Fantasy
 * Boss
 * Connected DE Colocoro Collection
 * Mega Bloks
 * Collectible Railway
 * Push Along
 * Minis
 * Classic Minis
 * Spooky Minis
 * DC Super Friends Minis
 * SpongeBob SquarePants Minis
 * Construction Minis
 * Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers Minis
 * Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Minis
 * Steel Minis
 * Pop Art Minis
 * Fantasy Minis
 * Music Minis
 * Food Minis
 * Bath Toys
 * Adventures
 * Wood