Diesel

Photo of No. 13236, a BR Class 08 diesel shunter on the Battlefield Line taken by Chris Eden-Green.
Artwork courtesy Christopher Signore with our thanks!

The ubiquitous diesel-electric Class 08 or “gronk” 0-6-0 350hp diesel shunter can trace its origins to experimental shunter engines first designed by the LMS and English Electric in the 1930s and built at Derby. A gradual evolution of various similar types followed, resulting in the proved, robust 08 class of 1953. Detail of this evolution can be found here, where the image above was found. This was the most prolific engine on British Rail with 945 in operation during the 1970s. Many are still in use.

Diesel made his sole appearance in “Duck and the Diesel Engine” (1958).

TV engines Iron 'Arry and Iron Bert are also 08s, as are the Magic Railroad engines Splatter and Dodge plus Day of the Diesels' Paxton and Sidney.

'Arry and Bert rendered by Daniel David Snell.

Hornby's “Diesel” is made from the original Triang moulding of the 08 from 1956. From Robert Forsythe's article in the Feb. 1994 issue of the Model Railway Enthusiast and © Robert Forsythe. Read Robert's The Story of Thomas the Tank Engine here.

Hornby produces OO models of these Sudrian rogues available through Amazon's UK website. Click images to see product pages
Iron 'Arry	Devious Diesel	Iron Bert

For the O Gauge modeller, Lionel Trains released this version of Diesel with moving eyes and three removable faces. Available from Amazon (US)

Also available from Amazon (US), Bachmann's HO-OO gauge Diesel with moving eyes.

Collector's Corner

Classic ERTL models of the characters
Devious Diesel	Iron Works 'Arry and Bert	TATMR's Splatter	TATMR's Dodge

TOMY® versions of the characters available on Amazon's UK and US websites
Diesel	Splatter and Dodge

Learning Curve models		LC/RC2 Take Along versions
Diesel	Iron 'Arry & Bert	Diesel	Iron 'Arry & Bert

Wooden Paxton	Take-n-Play Paxton	Wooden Sidney	Take-n-Play Sidney

Page updated on 11 June, 2012