D261

Class 40, also known as The Diesel, D4711 (in the Railway Series), D261 (in the television series), or simply Diesel is a diesel who once came to the North Western Railway on loan from the Other Railway.

The Railway Series/Thomas & Friends
Class 40 was built at the Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Meadows, Lancashire, England. Class 40 was sent to Sodor in 1962 to assist the engines with goods and express work toward the end of Stepney's visit, but he only insulted the other engines by saying they were out-of-date, and bragged about his modernity. He got his comeuppance when an inspector's bowler hat jammed in his air intake, causing him to break down and be as sick as boiler sludge. He sulked in the shed while Duck and Stepney took the Express for him.

While everyone was fare-welling Stepney, Class 40 crept away, leaving behind "a rather nasty smell of bad manners and a battered bowler hat".

Personality
Class 40 is snobbish, believing that diesel engines should take over from steam engines. Despite this, in the magazine stories, there are some occasions in which the Diesel helps the steam engines.

Basis
Class 40 is based on a BR Class 40 1Co-Co1. Old Stuck-Up and D782 are other members of this class. Class 40's television series number belonged to a real Class 40. The real D261 entered service on the 26th of February 1960 and was withdrawn from service in 1983, being scrapped at Crewe in March the following year. It was renumbered to 40 061 in 1973. Seven Class 40s are preserved, the first built, D200, at the National Railway Museum.

Livery
Class 40 is painted in British Railways' two-tone green livery with a black roof and yellow warning panels. In the television series, Class 40 is painted in British Railways' Brunswick green livery, with a thin, lighter green stripe running along his top and yellow warning panels. His number is painted on his cab sides in yellow.

In the Railway Series, his face was yellow, while in the Television Series, it was grey like the other engines.

Appearances
Railway Series=

The Railway Series

 * Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine - Bowled Out

Companion Volumes

 * 1976 - Famous Engines
 * 1980 - Annual
 * 2005 - Sodor: Reading Between the Lines (mentioned)
 * -|Television Series=

Thomas & Friends

 * Season 4 - Rusty to the Rescue (cameo) and Bowled Out

Music Videos
{{Scroll box|
 * Thomas' Anthem Grand Finale, Come for the Ride and The Whistle Song
 * -|Other Media=

Books

 * 2004 - Oliver (cameo)
 * 2008 - Thomas' Sticker Express
 * 2011 - Oliver the Great Western Engine (cameo)
 * 2017 - Oliver (cameo)

Magazine Stories
The Diesel also appeared in the magazine stories, Blowing About!, Diesel Display, and Rusty and the Cheeky Boys.
 * 1997 - Rusty the Diesel
 * 2001 - Diesel Day! and Dusty Diesel
 * 2002 - Just Right and Dusty Diesel!
 * 2003 - The Big Hero
 * 2006 - Heavy Load, Sounds Better and Bridge Bother
 * 2008 - Superhero! and Left Alone (cameo)
 * 2010 - Proud Puffers
 * 2011 - Team Effort
 * 2012 - Tender Trouble, Team Effort!, Story Time with Thomas and The Railway Show (mentioned)

Video Games
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 * 2002 - Begins Educational Learning

Voice Actors

 * Michio Nakao (Japan)

Trivia

 * Class 40's Railway Series livery is inaccurate as none of the Class 40 diesels received British Railways two-tone green livery.
 * According to some VHS descriptions for Bowled Out, Class 40 was brought to Sodor to take over Daisy's work while she was ill.
 * His Hornby model depicts him as a Class 37 diesel.

Merchandise

 * ERTL (discontinued)
 * Wooden Railway (discontinued)
 * Hornby (Re-used Class 37 Diesel tooling; labelled as Diesel; discontinued)
 * Brio (discontinued)
 * Thomas Engine Collection Series (discontinued)
 * Nakayoshi (discontinued)
 * Take-n-Play (labelled as Class 40)
 * Trading Cards (discontinued)
 * De Agostini (discontinued)