//------------------------------//
// A duty for the Western 
// Story: Western Champion 
// by The Blue EM2 
//------------------------------//

A few days went by, during which Western Champion went through further testing and outfitting. Amongst the ley changes that needed to be applied including the restoration and fitting of the engine's Automatic Warning System, or AWS for short. This system was crucial for the engine to operate safely on the mainline, as otherwise the crew would have no awareness of incoming yellow or red signals (only the very advanced APT (Advanced Passenger Train) featured an in-cab signalling system, and this was a highly expensive system that could not be fitted to most locomotives due to the costs involved). A suitable system was found and fitted at Canterlot works, now fully equipped to handle most types of locomotives, and this was then followed by mainline trials to see how many coaches the engine could pull, and how quickly. It was found during this testing stage that the engine could pull up to 10 coaches at speeds in excess of one hundred miles an hour. Whilst a lot slower than many of the line's fastest engines, there was no real reason for passenger workings to run any faster, and as such this was considered to be satisfactory. The recovery of Western Champion has also encouraged the railroad to pull its mothballed Hymeks out of storage, as the knowledge for overhauling hydraulic engines had been rediscovered (although reworking Mekydro engines rapidly worked out to be something of a headache, given the company that made the parts had long since gone out of business). In all, it was boomtime for the railway, but the team who had restored Western Champion would soon face their greatest challenge yet.

It was September, and the date of the Canterlot Music Festival was approaching. In fact, it would be that very weekend, and many of the stars who were performing were arriving already. Most had flown into Los Angeles airport and come up by train, and the line was getting clogged with traffic shipping musicians and their entourage, music equipment, speakers, instruments, and many other things. No fewer that 40 major musicians were headlining the concert, which made it not only a very important event, but also one of high security, and the number of Private Security workers in the town for that weekend was a little unnerving to say the least. One afternoon in Sugarcube Corner, the crew of Western Champion were sat around a table sipping milkshakes. Rumble was the first to speak.

"Well," he said, "I think we can safely conclude that so far, Western Champion has been a great success." He glanced over at Pip, who was looking at the table. "Do you agree?"

Pip glanced up. "Oh! Yes, of course. Just... Apple Bloom was a bit upset we didn't ask her for help. She'd have loved to have helped us out restoring it. We're OK now, if that's what you're wondering about, but still, I'm not too sure everything's OK with the engine."

"Really?" Button asked, drinking his chocolate milkshake very slowy. Only a year ago, when Sweetie Belle had recruited him for the Everfree Forest Railroad restoration project, he had drunken his milkshake far too fast, and had got brain freeze as a result, which was extremely unpleasent and led to him causing a disturbance. "The AWS checked out fine on testing, and the throttle controls are having no problems."

"That's what they said of Gas Turbine 4, remember?" Thorax pointed out. Not long earlier, a prototype gas turbine locomotive had had technical faults and had run out of control up the mainline until being stopped by another engine. The locomotive had been pulled for modifications, and had been introduced on a trial basis. However, the locomotive still wasn't trusted by most people, not least Button Mash, as Sweetie Belle had been at the controls when it had malfunctioned.

"Oh, yeah," Button replied, looking down at the floor.

Ocellus glanced over. "A longer running in period would be good," she said. "I'm not sure we've ironed out all of the kinks in the engine yet."

"Are we in a dead end street?" asked Pip.

"What?" Rumble asked, confused.

"The Kinks were a British pop band in the 1960s through to the 1990s," Pip explained. "Dead End Street was released in 1966 as a criticism of working class life. Which is odd, as normally they celebrated working class life."

"Is this relevant?" Ocellus asked. "Because it doesn't sound like it."

"No," Button said quickly. "So, we need to do some more work on the engine."

"Correct," Pip replied. "I noticed on one of the runs that the engines were briefly out of sync. Should we install a FADEC system?"

"Possibly," Button said, taking another sip of his milkshake. "I suggest we try the engine again before we make any substancial changes. Under mainline conditions, and with a heavy load."

"Isn't FADEC the system used on Chinook helicopters?" asked Rumble.

"Full Authority Digital Engine Control," Ocellus told him. "Used for keeping engines in sync, as well as maximising fuel efficiency."

"Why am I not surprised that you know that?" Rumble asked.

Suddenly, before Ocellus could reply, Pip's phone went, and he answered it. "Hello? Mr David?" he said. "Yes? An urgent special for us?" There was a brief pause. "Of course! We'll get onto it right away! Yes, Western Champion is available and ready for service. Fantastic. See you then!" The line clicked shut, and Pip put his phone down.

"We've got a pretty big working to do!" he said.

"And that is?" Thorax asked, sitting up as he did so.

"The network is pretty blocked up with passenger trains moving the equipment and stars for the Canterlot music festival," Pip explained. "As a result, there are no other engines available. Another artist has just arrived, and Mr David has timetabled Western Champion to pull the train for an artist who has just arrived at Los Angeles International Airport to go to Canterlot!"

"Who is it?" Rumble enquired, looking very interested.

"The big one. Countess Coloratura."





San Fernando railroad station was always a busy place, but today it seemed to be busier than ever. People swarmed the platforms, which were largely being blocked off by the police, in an attempt to get a glimpse of Countess Coloratura herself. These efforts were largely futile, as the security was very good. 10 passenger coaches of MK1 design sat in the platform, and Western Champion backed slowly onto the train, the twin Maybach engines growling as it backed onto the coaches. Rumble was calling Pip back from the rear cab.

"10 cars, keep it coming back!" he called.

"Got it, 10 coaches!" Pip replied over the radio.

"5 coaches!"

"5 coaches, copy!"

"And.. impact!" The engine rolled smoothly into the coach, and stopped without so much as a nudge.

Perfect." The radio cut out. Rumble hopped out of the cab and was hooking the engine up when a man walked over to him. He had white skin and grey eyes, paired with pink hair that was all over the place. He wore a blue suit with black shoes and a red tie, as well as a white shirt, yellow waistcoat, and a pair of brown circular spectacles.

"Is this the train?" he asked, in an officious and rude voice.

"Yes, it is," Rumble replied. "This is the rostered engine."

"Why the railway thought it acceptable to put such an old, noisy and smelly machine on the Countess' train is beyond me," he said. "Oh well, I guess we can't always get the best trains, not an electric at least, sadly. At least get us there on time and smoothly, we had a pretty bad flight from San Fransisco." He then walked off, toward the lead passenger coach.

Rumble looked at Button Mash, who had just hopped out of the maintenance hatch. "That was the rudest man I have ever met," he said.

Button shrugged. "That's Svengallop," he said. "He's Coloratura's manager, ever since she signed on with Columbia Records. Bad move, in my opinion, but something's clearly working."

"I mean, who hasn't heard of her?" Rumble replied. "We'd better get going, I don't want Svengallop breathing down my neck any longer than I have to."

The signal dropped, and the entourage finished boarding, a procession of sound engineers, backup dancers, chefs, cooks, artists, and somebody else Rumble couldn't make out. He jumped in the cab and switched on the radio. "We are clear to depart, over."

"Roger that," replied Pip. "Opening her up now. Ocellus, start the air conditioning in the carriages."

"Roger that."

With a grumble and a roar, Western Champion thundered into life, the twin hydraulic engines roaring as the engine pulled away from the station with the precious cargo onboard. They flew along the line, past urban environments and through forests, over hills, and through Crystal City itself, which continued to glow like a jewel in the sun. It was really such a stunning place, but they had no time to stop. The train then paused at Halfway to refuel, and then completed the remaining 100 miles of its journey to Canterlot in record time. Once the train had stopped, crowds of people flocked onto the platform to see the new arrival. Pip, Button, Rumble and Ocellus sped down the platform to see the entourage get off the train, onto the red carpet. After the security guards got off, a blast of light and sound echoed across the platform.

And then they all saw it.