//------------------------------//
// Off to Carlisle! 
// Story: Thunder on the Long Drag 
// by The Blue EM2 
//------------------------------//

With a snort of steam and a hum from the ejectors coming off, the train went off to a flying start, climbing the gradient out of the station at Settle with little effort. The train moved up the climb with grace and precision, thanks to very precise driving on the part of Tom and Katrina. Tom looked back over the shoulder to see Jimmy simply hurling coal into the firebox.

"Don't just throw it!" he called. "Move it in gently, and to the side. Otherwise you will just get lumps of coal building up in the firebox that'll simply sit there and not burn."

"Roger that!" Jimmy replied. "Sorry, I'm just used to oil burners, that's all."

"If you want to fire an oil burner, go to the Ffestiniog," Tom answered, and looked back at the boiler pressure gauge. "Good. We're reading at 200 PSI. Keep up the power, and ensure the boiler doesn't drop."

Back in the cab of 60077, Katrina consulted the gauges. "Increase fire temperature!" she called. "Steph, hit the blowers!"

"OK!" Stephanie replied, and pulled a lever out on the cab floor. The engine responded to the increased hot air being blown through the firebox, and the boiler pressure suddenly shot upwards. 60077 lurched forward and smacked into the back of 70000.

"Careful!" said Tom's voice on the other end. "We've got plenty of time, and I'd rather not get thrown onto the cutoff valve!"

"Sorry!"

"Apology accepted." The line clicked shut, and Kat looked back to the controls, winding the reverser back even further to increase speed and power. The engine responded with a booming exhaust beat that sounded in beats of three, as the train roared through Horton in Ribblesdale at 40 miles an hour.

Tom smiled. "Two engines, sixty five thousand and fifty horsepower, and fourteen coaches. This is easy work for these two."





Meanwhile, Scootaloo was looking out of a window with Rainbow Dash's head right behind hers. The two engines were putting down a truly incredible show, as they climbed up the relentless slope of the long drag.

"Whoohoo!" Rainbow Dash called. "Yeah! Look at that exhaust trail!"

Twin jets of white steam poured into the air as the two engines battled their way up the slope in the cold, bright day. Just then, the guard came around. "Tickets please," he said, with a smile.

"Sure, here you go," Scootaloo replied, and handed over her Edmonson. Rainbow Dash took hers out of her pocket and handed it over to. The guard punched both of them, and handed them back.

"Have a pleasant run, and make sure to pull your head back in before you reach Blea Moor Tunnel," he explained. "The clearances are very tight, and there's no guarantee that you'd be able to see an oncoming train."

"Thanks for the warning," Scootaloo replied. The guard then entered into the carriage. 

"Tickets please."





At the top of the climb, the train rolled onto Ribblehead Viaduct and slowed down to let the passengers take in the sights. People waved from the nearby pub car park and from below on Batty Moss as the two engines roared over the viaduct.

In the fifth carriage, Pear Butter sat with Cookie Crumbles, having a conversation, as mothers are known to do from time to time.

"Ah think this part of the world's lovely, don't ya?" she asked her compatriot across from her.

"Oh yeah, Yorkshire and Cumbria sure are lovely," Cookie replied, with her trademark New York accent and gentle drawl. "This place would be perfect for buying a holiday home."

"The problem is, there isn't much property to go around up here," Cheerilee told them, hopping into a seat next to them. "After all, people do need places to live up here. Mostly sheep farming, I saw."

"An entirely different world from Sweet Apple Acres, Ah have ta say," Pear answered to her. It was a little odd how these three women knew each other purely because they happened to give birth around the same time, but that was how the world worked, I suppose. "Ah hope Applejack and Apple Bloom remember ta pull their heads in at Blea Moor."

Rarity suddenly appeared, sitting down in another seat opposite. "I'm not sure if luncheon is being provided on this train, but I did see advertisments for Afternoon Tea. Does that thought tickle your tastebuds!"

"Absolutely!" Cookie smiled, her eyes going wide. "I haven't had a proper English afternoon tea since the 1990s!"

"Are we all in agreement?" Cheerilee asked. The nods told her all she needed to know.





After clearing Blea Moor Tunnel, the train roared over Blea Moor viaduct, Sweetie Belle getting a mouthful of soot as the exhaust from the twin locomotives drifted back to her.

"Bleagh!" she said, her face now covered in soot. She was wearing goggles to ensure no soot got in her eyes, she still looked like a chimney sweep.

"Good heavens!" Rarity cried, seeing the state her sister was in. "You look positively frightful!"

"I'm used to it," Sweetie Belle replied, with a smile. "Besides, what did you expect from steam engines? Water vapour?"

Suddenly, large blobs of water began shooting out of 60077's chimney.  "Is it meant to do that?" asked Rarity.

"Yep! They just need to shut the snifter valves."





After a short stop at Garsdale, to visit the remains of the Hawes Branch, the train set off once more and thundered down the hills through such vaunted towns as Kirkby Stephen, both engines having shut off steam as it was not needed on the downhill. Apple Bloom whooped as the wind whistled through her hair and blew it behind her, streaming in a crimson line behind her head.

"Watch ya don't lose ya bow!" Applejack called.

"Got it, sis!" Apple Bloom replied. Suddenly, there was a loud bang up ahead, and a loud sploshing noise.





Katrina looked in horror as the water gauge suddenly dropped to zero. "Tom, we got a problem!" she radioed.

"What's happened, over?" Tom asked from 70000.

"Tender tank's gone! Water is draining out of the tender at speed, and at this rate we won't have enough to run without exploding!"

"Get Steph to dampen down the fire. I'll radio ahead to request an emergency stop at Appleby. They've got a water tank there, and some engineers to patch it up."

The train slowed down and ground to a stop at Appleby station, and the engineers checked the damaged tender over. They were able to weld the damage shut, and fill the tender to a level that would hold for the run to Carlisle, so that the engine could get a full repair at Kingmoor depot.

The final part of the run was covered in good time, and arrival at the massive, wondrous station of Carlisle Citadel was on time (sort of, as the timetable was very slack anyways). The passengers piled off the train and went to their hotel, whilst the coaches were stabled at Kingmoor depot, and the two engines put away for the night, whilst a replacement tender for 60077 was sourced.