Diesel's Christmas Carol

**Diesel's Christmas Carol** is the special episode of the first season.

## Plot

With Christmas just mere days away, the engines do their final jobs before the big Christmas party at Tidmouth station. Everyone was in good spirits about it, except Diesel, who was working in the yards at the docks.

The Fat Controller asks Diesel to shunt and prepare a train of Christmas decorations for the party at Tidmouth, which he reluctantly does. However, his bad attitude towards Christmas gets the better of him and he shunts the train in a siding rather then preparing it.

As all the engines gather at Tidmouth, only the decorations are missing. The engines begin to question where the decorations are, and the Fat Controller asks Duck to check at the docks. While Duck is gone, Diesel arrives, and is met with spite from the other engines. As a result of his neglengence, the Fat Controller decides to cancel the party due to the lack of decorations. Duck returns with the decorations train, but by then the decision is final. The other engines return to their respective sheds as the Fat Controller scolds Diesel. He reasserts Diesel’s duties of working at the docks, but notes that maybe three ghosts will visit him.

Diesel returns to the sheds at the docks and goes to sleep. Before he can close his eyes, a green tender engine arrives. She introduces herself as the engine of Christmas Past. Diesel is initially not convinced until the engine takes him with her to re-visit his past.

Diesel’s memories from the last reveals that he once was happy and likes Christmas on his old railway. The stationmaster, Walkers, used to host an annual Christmas party, but when he passed away, his succsssor, Mr. Peters, didn’t carry on the idea and also had a negative attitude towards Christmas. It’s implied that this influenced Diesel’s own attitude towards Christmas. He asks the tender engine to take him back as he has had enough of what he deems as painful memories.

Once he is brought back to the present and the shed, Diesel’s attitude hasn’t changed as the morning approaches into Christmas Day. Just then, another engine, bearing a resemblance to Gordon, backs down beside him. Being in a cheery mood, he tells Diesel what a good time Christmas is and how one should be nice to everyone. Diesel notes that no one has ever been nice to him or been sympathetic. The engine backs down and couples up to him and brings him to events that happened after his departure from Tidmouth. At the sheds, Wilbert remarks that Diesel didn’t ruin everyone’s togetherness. This makes a small impact on Diesel, who begins to have second thoughts just as the engine of Christmas present leaves him behind.

In his place, comes a black tender engine. Sensing what it represents, Diesel ask if it’s the engine of Christmas Future and what will happen to him. The engine doesn’t reply as it couples up to him brings him to a possible future. In it, the engines at the sheds express their delight of Diesel being sent away to be scrapped. Diesel is shocked at the possibility, and the black tender engine brings him to a yard on the Mainland, where his alternate self is a part of Bear’s train like the engines mentioned. Diesel then insists that he will change his ways.

He then wakes up on the morning of Boxing Day, being met by his driver. His driver notes his change in attitude and Diesel asks to talk to the Fat Controller.

The Fat Controller meets Diesel and agrees to his plan, noting to himself how drastically Diesel has changed over one day. Diesel pulls the decorations train to Tidmouth and workmen begin to decorate the place.

The other engines are summoned to Tidmouth, and find the place covered with Christmas decorations, much to their surprise. Diesel explains how he was visited by three engines, which made him realise how bad he has been. He also takes the opportunity to apologise just as the Christmas party comes into full swing.

## Characters

* Henry
* Gordon
* James
* Percy
* Duck
* Wilbert
* The Ghost Engine of Christmas Past
* The Ghost Engine of Christmas Present
* Diesel
* Sir Topham Hatt
* Mr. Peters
* The Butler
* The Ghost Engine of Christmas Future (does not speak)
* Bear (does not speak)
* Lady Hatt (does not speak)
* Thomas (cameo)
* Edward (cameo)
* Toby (cameo)
* Donald and Douglas (cameo)
* Oliver (cameo)
* Bill and Ben (cameo)
* Märklin Engine (cameo)
* The Flying Scotsman (cameo)
* Stepney (cameo)
* Molly (cameo)
* Hiro (cameo)
* Daisy (cameo)
* BoCo (cameo)
* Splatter and Dodge (cameo)
* Skarloey (cameo)
* Rheneas (cameo)
* Sir Handel (cameo)
* Peter Sam (cameo)
* Duncan (cameo)
* Duke (cameo)
* Victor (cameo)
* Rusty (cameo)
* Annie and Clarabel (cameo)
* Henrietta (cameo)
* Troublesome Trucks (cameo)
* Victoria (cameo)
* Bertie (cameo)
* Trevor (cameo)
* Caroline (cameo)
* Jem Cole (cameo)
* Mr. Percival (cameo)
* Stephen Hatt (mentioned)
* Bridget Hatt (mentioned)
* Stationmaster Walkers (mentioned)

## Trivia

* The episode is based on the novel 'A Christmas Carol' by Charles Dickens.