D199

Diesel 199 (D199), nicknamed "Spamcan" and "Old Reliable", is a rude diesel engine from the Other Railway.

Biography

The Railway Series

Diesel 199 was built in the early 1960s at Derby Works. In 1967, he came on trial to Sodor with another diesel engine, Diesel 7101. D199 soon made himself an enemy of the steam engines when he claimed that "steam engines spoil our image". Vulgar noises greeted this, until Duck and D7101 managed to shut up D199.

The next day, D199 ironically failed with a train of fuel tankers at a signal box, blocking the crossing. Henry, whose regulator had already jammed, came to help. However, after D7101's ejector leaked, making him unable to pull his passenger train, Henry was asked to help him as well. Henry, with some help from 7101, was still able to move and bravely pulled 199, the oil-tankers and the passengers to the next station. Sir Topham Hatt was not impressed, and Diesel 199 was soon sent home in disgrace. However, his companion Diesel 7101 was given a second chance.

In the magazines, D199, along with Class 40, returned to Sodor to celebrate "Diesel Day" with the other diesels.

Stories From Sodor

Since the events of The Railway Series, D199 has returned to Sodor and now lives at the Vicarstown Dieselworks.

Season 2

D199 was present when Rose told the other Dieselworks Diesels about her past on the Mainland^[1].

Season 14

Like in the magazines, D199 visited Knapford Station to celebrate "Diesel Day" with the other diesels^[2]>

Personality

D199 was pompous and rude, and sided with the general belief amongst diesels that steam engines are inferior to diesel power. He is blatantly arrogant, and enjoys bad-mouthing the steam engines. However, he earned the nickname "Spamcan" by a signalman after he failed pulling a train of oil-tankers, and he subsided when the signalman jokingly threatened to cut him up with a tin opener.

D199 thought he was more reliable than the steam engines. However, one day he broke down and quickly lost his nickname "Old Reliable". In fact, everyone was rather pleased when he was sent away from Sodor back to the Other Railway in Disgrace.

Basis

D199 is based on a BR Class 46 "Peak" 1Co-Co1. The Class 46s never made it up to D199. They were numbered between D138-D193. 56 of them were built from 1961 to 1963, and three of them are preserved, while one (46009) was destroyed in a crash test in 1984.

D199's Basis

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Livery

D199 is painted in the British Railway's Rail Blue with yellow warning panels. His number, D199 is painted on the sides of his cab in white.

Trivia

• D199's rear cab has a headcode reading "AC 10".
• D199's class, along with the earlier Class 44 and Class 45, was given the nickname "Peak" because the 10 Class 44 diesels were named after British mountains.
• D199’s nickname, Spamcan, was also one of the nicknames for the Southern Railway’s Merchant Navy Class Pacific locomotives, in reference to their air smoothed casings (of which were eventually removed in the late 1950s), designed by Oliver Bulleid.

References