A few minutes later, some workmen came to give Donald and Douglas their numbers. Donald was given the number nine, and Douglas the number ten. In order to put the numbers on and avoid obscuring the builder's plates mounted on the cabsides, the British Railways logos were removed, and the numbers put in their places on the tenders. Once the workmen were gone, the two engines noticed what had been done almost immediately.
"Ye may have noticed Douggie," Donald began, looking at nobody in particular, "that yon painter's have forgotten somethin'."
"What's that? How did they forget?" Dougas asked.
"You mean, 'what did they forget?'" Bon-Bon said. "You can't ask how something was forgotten if you don't know what was forgotten."
"Those painters put the new numbers on our tenders," Donald finally answered. "But they poot none on us!" And he winked at his twin.
"Ye mean that?" Douglas began.
"Indeed I do," Donald smiled.
"Oh dear," Lyra sighed. These two had tried a stunt like that before, and it had led to everybody getting extremely confused. "I hope you two aren't planning something like-"
"Shh!" Donald interrupted. "Here comes yon Inspector!"
Both engines were soon put to work alongside Duck and Apple Bloom. Both of the engines soon became firm friends with Duck, as they appreciated his hard working ways. Similarly, Lyra and Bon-Bon liked Apple Bloom, mainly for her no-nonsense nature. The engines didn't mind what work they did. Good trains, passenger trains, shunting- they had done it all back in Scotland, and they knew it well. Remarkably, the trucks began behaving well after Donald and Douglas had worked with them, which was an astonishing achievement!
"We like it fine here," Donald said, as he put some trucks away one day.
"That's good by me!" Duck said. "We always need help out in the yard, as it sometimes more than one engine and his driver can handle.
"Yer tellin' me?" Apple Bloom exclaimed. "But seriously, there are three engines ya need ta watch out fer. Their names are Gordon, Henry, and James. If they start givin' ya nonsense-"
"Oh, they won't give us any nonsense," Lyra smiled. "We know how to deal with engines too big for their boilers."
Donald and Douglas were fitted with deep toned chime whistles, that boomed across the landscape. For some reason, this greatly amused Gordon and Henry. "Why, Rainbow Dash, they sound like buses!" Gordon snorted.
"Faulty buses, you mean," Rainbow Dash laughed.
"Or ships," Henry added.
"I don't know many ships who sound like that," Fluttershy said. "Not even Ten Cents."
"Tugboat Annie!" Gordon chortled. "Ha ha ha!"
Suddenly, two deafeningly loud chime whistles echoed across the yard, and on either side of them appeared Donald and Douglas. On their footplates were Lyra and Bon-Bon. "Referencing obscure Hollywood movies, are we?" Lyra asked.
"Ye wouldnae be makin' fun of us, would ye now?" Donald asked.
Gordon and Henry looked sheepishly from side to side, surprised that those two had krept up on them unnoticed. "Erm, no, no, of course not!" Gordon said quickly.
"No, no, no, certainly not!" Henry added, just as fast.
"That's fine," Douglas said ominously. "Now keep it that way."
As they puffed away, Bon-Bon looked back. "Take that as a warning. Or else I'll have S.M.I.L.E on you."
Rainbow Dash spoke up next. "What's S.M.I.L.E?"
Every day, at 15:30, or 3:30 PM for those who do not use the 24 hour clock, Gordon steams into Knapford station with the Express, or to give it its proper name, the 'Wild nor'Wester'. The train, when it arrives, is packed, full of people from England, Wales, and Scotland (though, oddly enough, not Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland). Some people want to travel to places on Thomas' branch line, and for them, a special coach is provided that is moved from the back of the train to Thomas' platform. This is so when he gets in from the junction, he can back onto it and set off as quickly as possible back up the branch. Thomas, naturally enough, is very proud of the special coach, as is Twilight.
One afternoon, Donald and Duck were working in the yard, whilst Douglas had been assigned to a goods train headed for Vicarstown. Duck was sent off to collect Douglas' trucks, and, whilst waiting, offered to clear out Gordon's coaches. He was enjoying himself, but an awful thought struck him whilst at work. "Bon-Bon," he said, "I should hate for Sir Toppham Hatt to realise we're not meant ta be here."
"How can he know?" Bon-Bon asked. "You two look similar enough!"
Unfortunately, the two of them worried so much about this, they forgot all about the special coach, and shunted it into the sidings along with the others. Once they were done, they went to the water column next to Donald in order to refuel. As they sat there, and Bon-Bon and Lyra engaged in idle conversation when Thomas suddenly flew past.
"Oh, THIS IS TERRIBLE!" Twilight shouted, as Thomas came to a stop. "Maybe we came in too late? Or were we too fast? Was the express late? What could've happened to it?"
"Happened to what?" Lyra asked. "Twilight, you're terribly worked up."
"My coach?" Thomas asked. "Where is it?"
"Cooch?" Donald asked. "What cooch?"
"My special coach! You know, the one that Gordon brings for me?" Thomas asked. "Oh, this is dreadful! I must find it, or else my usefulness will decline sharply!" He then flew away, as a massive crowd of passengers gathered on the platform. They were all very angry.
"This is worse than Southern Rail!" shouted one.
"Virgin Trains provides a better service than this!" shouted another.
"Oh no!" Douglas cried. "I musta stowed the special cooch with the others!"
"Those passengers are complaining to Sir Toppham Hatt!" cried Bon-Bon. "They'll send us away for sure over this!"
"We can't let that happen!" Lyra shouted. "I can't bear to be without you, Bonnie! Just like Donald and Douglas can't stand to be apart."
That's enough referencing creepypastas, you four. But Lyra went on. "Listen, we'll swap engines and tenders over, so that way nobody will know the wiser!"
They completed the procedure just in time. Donald headed off with Douglas' tender, and Bon-Bon at the controls, with the goods before anybody saw. That left Douglas with Donald's tender, and Lyra on the footplate.
"Number 9, Lyra!" Sir Toppham Hatt called. "Why have you not taken the goods away?"
"Me tender is awa', sir," Douglas told him. Lyra pointed to the still uncoupled tender.
"I see," Sir Toppham Hatt replied. "Some sort of defect, no doubt. Tell me, why did Number 10 and Sweetie-"
"Bon-Bon," Lyra corrected.
"Tell me, why did Number 10 and Bon-Bon leave so fast?"
"Maybe the saw yee comin', and thought they would be late."
"Right," said Sir Toppham Hatt. "Here, gentlemen, are the facts. Number 10 has been shunting the yard, and your coach disappears. We investigate, and both Number 10 and his driver disappear. Please do accept my apologies for the mixup, and please do enjoy your afternoon."
Sir Toppham Hatt watched them walk away, facing away from Douglas. It was not clear what was going on, until he suddenly wheeled around and snapped, "Douglas, what are you doing with Donald's tender?"
"Are you suggesting-" Lyra began.
"If you were trying to trick me, remember to change the builder's plates next time."