Pip got no end of ribbing as a result of the accident. Rumble and Featherweight would talk endlessly about engines who ended up in turntable pits, whereas Pip would respond with stories of engines who went on rollercoaster rides and got splashed in paint.
One day, Babs was waiting at the junction with her passenger train. Pip came down the line with Rumble and Featherweight in tow.
“Watch those trucks, or else they may end up in a turntable!” Rumble laughed.
Pip was obviously upset about this, and Babs saw this.
“Hey!” she shouted. “Stop that, you guys!”
“Why should we?” asked Featherweight. “It’s extremely funny!”
“Well, I’ll whoop your sorry tenders if you don’t!”
That shut them up.
There is one particular working that is especially important. That working is the express. It departs from Ponyville at 1’o clock every day, and returns at 2. It usually handled by the most powerful engines on the line.
One morning, Diamond Tiara was being readied for the express run. Silver Spoon was up in the quarry helping Button, as the workload was too heavy for him on some days.
“You see Babs,” she said. “We tender engines are important. We are the only ones who can handle the heavier trains.”
Babs rolled her eyes. She was used to tender engines giving her rubbish, but the fact that Diamond was just a glorified tank engine made it worse. She said nothing as Diamond went on.
There was a loud whistle. “That’s my cue!” Diamond said. “See you at 2!”
Babs pulled some more coaches into the platform and waited for the return train. However, she was made aware of a loud wheeshing noise as she waited.
Coming toward her, was Diamond Tiara and her coaches.
“Hey, is it 2 already?” Babs laughed.
“No, there’s a faulty signal,” Diamond explained. “We had to be sent back. So embarrassing!”
The Station Master came over. “We need to get things moving again. Babs, your train will form the express.”
“Me?” the tank engine said, looking extremely surprised.
“It’s that, or we disappoint a lot of people.”
“I’ll do it,” said Babs.
The passengers climbed onboard, and the guard blew his whistle and waved his flag. Babs started off, much more gently this time, and climbed the hill out of the station with not too much difficulty.
The countryside seemed to fly by. For the small tank engine, used to shunting trucks in a gasworks, this was a very different life. She thundered through the stations, racing past the Refreshment Lady who was expecting a load of passengers.
“Oh, not again!” she groaned.
Babs took the gradient up to the top station in her stride. Though her wheels slipped and skidded, she kept going nonetheless. She had a duty to these passengers, and she would do it.
The noise echoed off of the walls of the valley, a small tank engine lugging a colossal train up a steep slope. Passengers at the top station came out to see what was going on.
A loud whistle echoed up the line, and Babs steamed into the platform, exhausted but happy.
Cheerilee was waiting at the top station. “Well done Babs!” she said. “In spite of being underpowered for the train, you continued onward nonetheless. As a result, I have decided to name you, as you have more than earned your name.”
Babs could only beam with pride. “Thank you Miss Cheerilee,” she said.