Diesel Review

 

And here he is: The Sodor Troublemaker. 

Diesel is a model that was released in 2007/2008 and was discontinued sometime around the 2010's. Diesel was then reintroduced in 2014 with Lionchief controls and stayed in Lionel's catalogue for a few years before being silently discontinued again in 2016-2017. Luckily, in 2019, Diesel along with Thomas, Percy, and James were re-released (again) with Bluetooth Lionchief controls! What a wild ride! So why don't we get started?

Diesel is perhaps one of the best models in Lionel’s “Thomas & Friends” range. This may not be saying much, but there is more to Diesel then meets the eye. Much like the other models, do not go on Google and look up a picture of this model, photo-shops and poor quality photos do not do these models any justice. When you physically see the Diesel model you notice a lot of unique details.


For one, unlike many of the models in this range, Diesel cosmetically is near perfect. Proportionally, he looks great and is very accurate to his portrayal in the show (be that the original episodes or the animated ones of today). Diesel is painted in a matte black color scheme which hides a lot of his details. But upon closer inspection, there is quite a lot to enjoy.

Diesel has these great rivet detailing around his tool boxes and his open windowed cab is always a treat. Diesel does have his ladders, however they are part of the mold and not separately attached. On one hand, for the price you pay and the scale of these models, I am a little disappointed by the use of molding. At the same time, it is very clear Lionel gears this range towards kids, so child safety is one of their priorities (which we will return to in a moment).


One of my favorite features on this model is the buffers… yes, the buffers. That sounds kind of silly but look at them! The buffer detailing is fantastic, with rivets on the base, properly shaped buffer housings with simulated sprung buffers… this is a gigantic step up from the tiny red nubs Lionel used on their other Thomas products. It is a little detail that goes a long way.

But on the topic of details, it is time to discuss the wheels. It is evident that Diesel’s outside rods are not present and are instead on the inside. This is a shame as not only does it ruin the look of Diesel, but is inaccurate to a BR class 08. This was done for child safety reasons. Lionel did not want to make the complex rod arrangement (like Bachmann’s offering) in fear of children damaging the rods and ultimately making the model unable to work/run. It makes sense I suppose, but if we start making our models more and more like toys – and what point are these just toys?

The point of contention with Diesel is his very happy face. When I was young and watched the show Diesel was depicted as this rude, almost “villain” like character with a real nasty face. But that was then and this is now and Diesel in the animated version is nothing more than a friend with a bit of an attitude. As such, it is accurate to Diesel’s portrayal nowadays and I am unsure what else to say on that matter.

Diesel is an interesting case. “Close but no cigar” is the line that comes to my head. Lionel really put a lot of effort into Diesel, it is clear how much their molding has improved since their Thomas model. But it is fascinating that just two little details (no outside rods and molded ladders) can be the few factors that prevent people from buying the model. This is truly a shame, as I can truthfully tell you Diesel is the best model in the range in terms of detail and pulling power. If you like the Thomas stories and want a bit of Thomas representation on your layout, or just want a British look, Diesel can be considered multifaceted.