Diesel 10

Villain Overview Gallery

Evil-doer
Full Name	Diesel 10
Alias	"Pinchy" (claw nickname) Diesel
Origin	Thomas and the Magic Railroad
Occupation	Warship diesel Leader of both the Diesels and the Dieselworks
Powers / Skills	Speed Nearly accurate use of hydraulic grabber
Hobby	Scheming. Threatening steam engines.
Goals	Destroy Lady and the Magic Railroad, so that he can get rid of every steam engine (Magic Railroad). Take over the Island of Sodor (Magic Railroad). Take possession of the Steamworks (Day of the Diesels; all failed).
Crimes	Attempted murder Vandalism Death threats Kidnapping Defiling Pollution Brainwashing Destruction Theft
Type of Villain	Power-Hungry Archenemy

“	You'll be laughing on the other side of your boilers soon, silly Steamies!	„
	~ Diesel 10

“	Leave the most for tonight twinkle toes, because you won't like tomorrow!	„
	~ Diesel 10

Diesel 10 is one of the two main antagonists of the Thomas and Friends franchise (alongside Diesel). He first appeared as the main antagonist of the 2000 film Thomas and the Magic Railroad.

He is an extremely villainous diesel engine with a rooftop hydraulic claw whom he names "Pinchy" and is particularly responsible for causing trouble, but he is also obsessed on destroying Lady, a magical steam engine. In the past, he deliberately caused her to crash and although he badly damaged her, he failed to destroy her. He is also noted by Thomas for being 10 out of 10 brutal strength and devious deeds. He is Lady's archenemy and Thomas' second archenemy after Diesel.

He was voiced by Neil Crone in Thomas and the Magic Railroad, and is currently voiced by Matt Wilkinson in the TV series.

Quick Answers

What are Diesel 10's goals?

Diesel 10's goals are to destroy Lady and the Magic Railroad, take over the Island of Sodor, and take possession of the Steamworks.

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What are Diesel 10's powers and skills?

Diesel 10 has speed, physical strength, and nearly accurate use of a hydraulic grabber.

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Who is Diesel 10's archenemy?

Diesel 10's archenemy is Lady, a magical steam engine.

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Who voices Diesel 10 in Thomas and the Magic Railroad?

Diesel 10 is voiced by Neil Crone in Thomas and the Magic Railroad.

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Who voices Diesel 10 in the TV series and Day of the Diesels?

Diesel 10 is voiced by Matt Wilkinson in the TV series and Day of the Diesels.

Provided by: Fandom

Biography

Thomas and the Magic Railroad

Years ago, Diesel 10 once visited the Island of Sodor and caused trouble for the steam engines while he was there. During his visit, he found Lady, a magical steam engine responsible for keeping Sodor alive, and chased her, eventually causing her to 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 when the Fat Controller (Sir Topham Hatt) was on holiday, intending to find and destroy Lady again. He was first seen by Thomas and Gordon when he raced past them at Killaban Station. Later, he brought his two sidekicks 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 demolishing the scaffolding that had been placed beside the shed at night, only to be terrorized and scared off by Mr. Conductor, who threatens Diesel 10 with a bag of sugar that he will put in his tanks to seize him up for good. Another problem occurs when Toby rings his bell to distract Diesel 10, Splatter and Dodge after observing them discussing their plan to destroy Lady and the magic buffers that lead to the Magic Railroad as well as the other steam engines. Diesel 10, who recognizes him, attempts to attack Toby using his claw Pinchy. Unfortunately for him and his cronies, Pinchy causes the shed to collapse, trapping them under its roof.

When Mr. Conductor later traveled across Sodor to find the windmill, he was found and confronted by Diesel 10, who captured him and held Mr. Conductor over a viaduct with his claw, intending to drop him to his death. However, Mr. Conductor manages to escape by cutting one of the cables connected to his claw with a pair of wire cutters, causing Diesel 10 to fling him across the island towards the windmill. Diesel 10 later appeared at the coaling plant and was covered in coal after he was teaching Splatter and Dodge a lesson about "how to stop being stupid". When Junior was thrown into the air due to a strong wind after riding the windmill's sails, he ended up landing on Diesel 10, who kidnaps Junior and gives him a ride across the island until they reached the smelter's yard. There, Diesel 10 flips Junior onto James and attempted to push the two into a melting pit to their demises, but they managed to escape by using the last of Junior's gold dust.

After Lady was brought back up into steam by Burnett and returned to Sodor, Diesel 10, upon discovering she is alive again, eventually finds her and attempts to carry off where he left off by intending to destroy Lady yet again before ordering his sidekicks to help him. However, Splatter and Dodge, having a change of heart as they are tired of their master's attitude, abandon Diesel 10 for his actions and refuse to follow him, telling their boss to do his own dirty work. Diesel 10 pursues Lady, Thomas and Burnett across the island as he attempts to attack them with his claw until they finally reach the viaduct. Lady, Burnett and Thomas managed to cross the viaduct safely as it starts to crumble, but Diesel 10 fails to stop in time as he approaches the bridge and falls off due to the viaduct collapsing under his weight. However, he was able to use Pinchy to hold onto one of the sleepers of the dangling track. The sleeper breaks regardless, sending Diesel 10 plummeting onto a barge full of sludge below, whereupon he is towed away downriver in disgrace. He is not seen again afterwards as his fate is left unknown.

Uncut version

This scene showing P.T. Boomer on top of Diesel 10 was not edited for the final cut.

In the original cut, Diesel 10 was the secondary antagonist, with the main antagonist being a human named P.T. Boomer (portrayed by the late Doug Lennox). It was revealed that Boomer was the one who wrecked Lady instead of Diesel 10. When test audiences complained he was too scary for younger viewers, the film was edited (albeit not professionally) and all scenes with Boomer were removed, even though he can still be seen in a few of them.

In an early script for the film, the character was intended to be killed off. After falling off the viaduct, Junior would have used his magic bandana to turn Diesel 10 and Boomer into sludge.

Diesel 10 was originally going to be voiced by Australian voice actor Keith Scott (who is better known for voicing Bullwinkle J. Moose from The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and the narrator from George of the Jungle), but after the test screening, there were complaints about his voice being too scary for younger viewers, so Scott was replaced with Canadian actor Neil Crone.

Initially, Crone played Diesel 10 with a Russian accent, but this was deemed too offensive and replaced with a New Jersey accent.

Calling All Engines!

However, Diesel 10 returns later on, apparently not defeated once and for all. He briefly appears in Calling All Engines! as the former supporting antagonist. Though he was not really a villain within the work, he is still antagonistic towards Thomas, who eventually musters up the courage to ask Diesel 10's help in the construction of Sodor's airport. Diesel 10 aids in the construction on the pretense of proving himself to be useful. He later appeared in the stinger of Misty Island Rescue remarking that the steamies will "laugh on the other side on their boilers soon".

Other appearances

His latest appearance in Day of the Diesels.

His comment foreshadows the following feature Day of the Diesels with him as the main antagonist. During Day of the Diesels, Percy becomes depressed over Thomas befriending the new engine Belle and is won over by Diesel, who claims he can be Percy's new friend. Percy goes with Diesel to the Dieselworks (a place steam engines are informed to never go) and discovers Diesel 10 amongst the other diesels of the special. Ultimately, Diesel 10 manipulates Percy into siding with the diesels by playing with his sympathy in regards to the horrid condition of the Dieselworks. Percy progressively tries to help, such as enlisting Kevin the Crane from the Steamworks, but becomes more and more upset when he is unable to relate the diesels' situation and when Thomas becomes chummier with the new characters. Thomas is sent to retrieve Kevin once the truth comes out but is held prisoner at the Dieselworks.

Diesel 10's plot to take over the Steamworks as diesel territory succeeds and he mocks Percy as he and his cronies fool around on the Steamworks' equipment and sidings. Fortunately, Percy sets things right, even as the Dieselworks burns down in the process. Diesel 10 is then scolded by Sir Topham Hatt at the Steamworks who informs him that "some things are worth waiting for" (which oddly shames Diesel 10). The Dieselworks is rebuilt and Diesel 10 seems very happy about it. Though time will tell if he tries another attempt at evil-doing.

Despite returning to his villain status, Diesel 10 is still the victim of abuse within Day of the Diesels in how the automatic doors to his shed in the Dieselworks repeatedly close on him as he exits and enters it.

However, Diesel 10 was soon to his bad self again in The Missing Christmas Decorations, as he stole Christmas decorations from Tidmouth Sheds as the Dieselworks lack decorations. But his lack of patience once again got the better of him as it was later discovered that the Diesels were about to get Christmas decorations for their own. But they lets the Steam Team have their decorations to replace the damaged ones after Percy got new wheels for Sidney, a diesel who has been hoisted up by a crane for two years waiting for his new wheels.

After that, Diesel 10 was not recently seen again after that. However, his claw, Pinchy appeared again, but not Diesel 10 himself.

Personality

Diesel 10 is an evil, conniving, manipulative, bullying and raving diesel locomotive. He absolutely despises steam engines, and would call them nicknames like "Puffball" and "Teapot". 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.

Despite his brutality, some of his demeanour appears to have cooled, and his behaviour has apparently improved enough that Sir Topham Hatt allowed him back to the Island. He gets along enough with the other Sudrian diesels, but his efforts to help are often only when it suits his personal interest and he still harbors his scheming ways and anti-steam sentiments.

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 hidden 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.
• "Pinchy" was originally built with no gaps between its buckets, which carried onto early promotional arts/illustrations.
• Diesel 10 only appeared in specials and movies until the seventeenth series, where he appeared in an episode for the first time. The seventeenth series also marked his final appearance in the series, though his popularity with the fanbase allows merchandise of him to continue production even after his discontinuation in media.
• 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.
• Diesel 10 has had a few modifications throughout the television series. These include:
  • Calling All Engines!:
    • His pupils became bigger.
    • His brake pipe was removed.
    • The wipers on his front windows were removed.
    • His body is incorrectly fitted to his chassis at the front, leaving a gap above his front bufferbeam.
  • Misty Island Rescue:
    • The 'teeth' on his claw now interlock.
    • His upper bodywork is level once again, but fitted higher with gaps above both bufferbeams now.
• 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.
• His 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.
• Diesel 10's claw was briefly used during Rebecca's imagination scene in 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 the television series.
• Diesel 10's horn sound was most likely reused from the "Theodore Tugboat" characters Philip and Filmore.
• Diesel 10 had a total of eight facial expressions, one of which, a clenched face, was never shown on-screen. There have also been copies of some of his face masks 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.

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