Two diesels sat on the sight of Tidmouth sheds, taking in the sights with glum looks. Both of them were painted a bright blue livery, with an emblem that resembled two arrows connected by a squiggly line connecting the two arrows. One of them had a nose that jutted out briefly before curving back inward around his cab windows, and the entire area of the front end up to the cab roof was painted yellow. He was making an absolute racket, which made intelligible conversation difficult.
The other one, on the other hand, had more the sound of a cross channel ferry idling in the port. He had a snub nose that stuck out like a sore thumb, and this was painted yellow as well. However, he did not have his cab painted yellow, and his cab sat considerably higher up than it did on the other diesel (although, overall, both engines were will within the constraints of the British loading gauge). He was speaking to the other diesel in a snooty stuck up tone.
"It is about time," he said, "that we took this railway over. Heaven knows how they've been able to keep going on only steam power for so long."
"Agreed!" said a woman, sitting in his cab. She wore a severe turqoise shirt with the collar done up around her neck so tightly it looked as if it would strangle another person. It had a red jem set into it, and she wore a dark blue jacket on top of that. Below that, she wore a blue skirt, purple tights, and dark blue shoes. Her ice blue skin and orange eyes projected an aura of coldness and hostility, and her glasses often gave the impression she was looking down her nose at somebody. "Steam locomotives are dirty, noisy, smelly, and worst of all bad for the environment! Diesels are much more efficient and environmentally friendly. Indeed, sixty percent of railway locomotives today are diesels!"
The other diesel finally spoke up. "That's enough, D199," he said. "And you too, Cinch. This is there railway, after all, and I know what persecution is like. The last of my class was withdrawn in 1975, you know."
"But you're still here, aren't you?" the other diesel replied. "Besides, it should be obvious we are the future."
"Yeah, about 50 years ago, D199," the driver of the second diesel said. He wore black shoes, grey slacks with a brown belt and golden belt buckle, a purple jumper with a symbol of a shield on it, a white shirt, and a black tie.
"Hey, Ah know you!" Apple Bloom said finally from Duck's footplate, having overheard the conversation. "Yer Twilight's brother, ain't ya?"
"The very same," the driver, a young man, replied. "Simon Andrew, or Shining Armour for some reason. The name kinda stuck."
"Oh don't go on talking with this West Country nonsense!" Cinch said with a steely glare. "You may have known Pannier Tanks on the Western region, but put that behind you. These steam engines spoil the modern image of the diesel and electric railway."
Duck, by now being VERY offended, chose to speak up. "Of course we put your modern diesel and electric railway to shame!" he said. "Do you see us taking sick leave to go shopping for Christmas presents? Do you see us charging through booked stops in order to hold impossible timetables? Do you see Sir Toppham Hatt cancelling every train on the island because a single snowflake is forecast in Ukraine? No!" Duck then went on with his rant. "When you have problems, do you care a bit for your passengers? No! You just sit there and moan for a fitter. We get the trains in, even on one cylinder."
"That's right!" Apple Bloom added. "Hard work and determination will NEVER beat yer fancy pants diesels and electrics."
"Isn't he the driver of City of Truro?" asked the other diesel at the back.
"Indeed D7101," Shining Armour replied. "He's quite the gentleman too."
"Nothing," D199 boasted, "ever happens to us. We are superior."
"Well, that Class 40 who swallowed a bowler hat said the same," Stepney commented. "Sweetie Belle, Duck, Apple Bloom and I had to pull him out."
"Oh yes," D199 said, with a cruel smile. "Sweetie Belle, that airhead, was one on of my trains I pulled earlier. No wonder it was so difficult." He then looked to Rarity, who didn't like where this was going. "You really need to get her off the sweets, you know."
Rarity went purple in the face. "HOW DARE YOU!" she shrieked, and threw a pot of red paint at the diesel, which splattered all over his running number.
"WHY YOU-?"
"You asked for it," D7101 growled. "Now shut your intake."
Both diesels simply sat in silence as their engines were turned off.
The next day, Henry was on his way home running light engine. He was running tender first, and he looked very sad indeed. "I'm a failed engine," he said sadly. "First the tenders and now this. I'll be a laughing stock forever!"
"It's OK Henry," Fluttershy said tenderly. "It's only a primed regulator. It can be fixed, but only when you are cool. We just need to get back to the shed first."
"We still have the reverser and brakes, so it could be worse," Henry sighed. He came to a stop in a loop, where the signal was at red. Sitting next to him was D199, pulling a line of tankers. "Oh dear, he'll laugh at me now," Henry sighed.
However, D199 seemed to be paying him no attention. Up above, the signalman came out. "Can somebody please just tow this spam can away?" he asked. "It's fouling the Up line, and we've got a special train coming through soon!"
"SPAM CAN?" D199 boomed. "I'm not a Bulleid Light Pacific; I'm a Peak!"
"Shut it!" the signalman said. "Or I'll take my can opener to you."
Cinch emerged from the cab of D199, and boy did she look cross. "This is an unnaceptable standard of railway!" she boomed. "The facilities for diesels are simply shocking, and I will be taking this up with the British Railways Board!"
The signalman laughed. "OK then," he said. "While you're at it, tell the Board all about the talking engines."
Cinch fell silent almost immediately. Henry was moved onto the train to move it out of the way, whilst D7101 roared by on the special train, sounding his horn enthusiastically.
"Look there Spam Can!" Henry laughed. "There goes your pal!"
"Oh, so he's a Class 45," Fluttershy said at last. "No wonder he's so unreliable!"
D199 said nothing. He hoped that D7101 hadn't noticed.
D7101 hadn't noticed, nor had Shining Armour. They were having issues of their own. The train seemed to be getting heavier. D7101's engine roared as Shining increased the throttle further, but this seemed to do no good.
Trains on the Island of Sodor are braked using the vacuum technique, where the brakes come off when there is a vacuum in the system, hence the name. A device called an ejector is used to pull the air out of the braking system and keep the brakes off. If it is not working properly, air is let into the system and the brakes come on.
And this was what had happened. The ejector was not working properly, and air was slowly leaking into the brake system. They had been coming on ever since D7101 had passed the stricken D199, and D7101 continued on for about half a mile before grinding to a complete stop, unable to move a wheel and still roaring furiously.
"Well, well, well!" Henry smiled. "I thought they'd be laughing at me, but the joke's on those diesels now!"
"How are we going to move two dead diesels and their trains?" Fluttershy asked, looking concerned. "Are you sure you can do it, Henry? Those trains will be very heavy, and you are not in the best shape yourself."
"It's better than leaving those passengers stranded," Henry replied. "Besides, D7101 is a good sort. He shut Spam Can up when he insulted Sweetie Belle last night."
Fluttershy clambered into Henry's cab and released the brakes. "Right away!"
Steam thundered into the air and smoke shot from Henry's cylinders. "GET MO- VING- YOU!" he bellowed at D199, who of course did nothing to help. Henry was rolled gently into the passenger train, and Shining Armour came back down the train to talk to Fluttershy.
"I've disconnected the brakes on D7101," he explained. "I've still got power, and if you can control the braking, moving this lot ought to be simple as you'll only have D199 and his train to contend with. Good luck."
Fluttershy hooked up the brake hoses, and jumped back into the cab.
"Ready!" Henry shouted, and whistled loudly.
"Ready!" D7101 called, and sounded his horn.
Henry's wheels dug into the rails as D7101's engine roared into life on the front. Slowly, but surely, the heavy train got underway towards Tidmouth.
Flying Scotsman whistled as Henry brought the train to a stop at the station, D199 and his tankers trailing a long way behind. "Jolly good show, Henry! Good work, D7101!" he called. As the diesel was released from the stock and rolled away, he coupled onto the coaches and began to haul them to Arlesburgh West on a special train. Henry drew D199 into the platform and stopped. Rarity and Sweetie Belle were there.
"Well, look what the cat dragged in," Rarity said, with a look of amusement on her face. "I never thought highly of Sulzer machines.
"You look like you got lost on your way to a fashion show," D199 retorted.
Sweetie Belle by this point had been joined by Apple Bloom. "See here?" she said. "Spam Can here is so heavy he needs two engines to tow him. And he thinks I'm fat!"
D199 simply growled at her. "Take me back to Sheffield," he said sadly.
"That is exactly where we are going," Cinch grumbled. "I can't stand this railway for much longer."
"Indeed," Sir Toppham Hatt said. "As soon as he's fixed, take D199 back to the other railway. 7101 will stay for now."
That night, Henry and D7101 sat together in the shed. "Sorry about Spam Can," D7101 said. "He is rather rude, as is his driver. They think everybody else is below them."
"No harm done," Henry smiled. "You did shut him up."
"And then we made absolute fools of ourselves out on the mainline," Shining sighed. "I'm never going to live that one down."
"Henry here thought the same when he stopped in a tunnel out of fear of the rain," Fluttershy said. "But nobody mentions it now. Friends?"
"Sure thing," Shining replied, and shook her hand.
"Besides," Henry continued, "my regulator was stuck. But trains must always get through, no matter what."
"If only the modern Train Operating Companies understood that," D7101 sighed, and both engines had a good laugh about it.