//------------------------------//
// Chapter 33: Pinkie Pie the Laughter Engine 
// Story: MLP: The Equestrian Engines 
// by SuperSamYoshi 
//------------------------------//

Pinkie works in the yard at the big station. She loves playing jokes, but they can get her into trouble. One morning, she was very cheeky indeed.

“Peep, peep! Hurry up, Rainbow,” she tooted, “the train's ready.” Rainbow thought she was late.

“Ha, ha, ha, ha!” laughed Pinkie and showed him a train of dirty coal cars. Rainbow thought how she can pay Pinkie back for teasing her. Next it was Rarity's turn.

“Stay in the shed today, Rarity,” Pinkie told her, “the Fat Controller will come and see you.”

“Ah!” thought Rarity, “the Fat Controller knows I'm a fine engine. He wants me to pull a special train.”

Rarity's driver and fireman could not make her move. The other engines grumbled dreadfully. They had to do Rarity's work as well as their own. At last, the inspector arrived.

“Show a wheel, Rarity,” said the inspector, “you can't stay here all day.”

“The Fat Controller told me to stay here,” Rarity replied, “he sent a message this morning.”

“He did not,” said the inspector “how could he? He's away for a week.”

“Oh,” said Rarity, “Oh, where's Pinkie?”

Pinkie had wisely disappeared. When the Fat Controller came back, he was cross with Rarity and Pinkie for causing so much trouble. But the very next day, Pinkie was still being cheeky.

“I say, you engines, I'm to take some trucks to Twilight's junction. The Fat Controller chose me specially,” Pinkie boasted, “he must know I'm a really useful engine.”

“More likely, he wants you out of the way,” grumbled Rarity. Rainbow looked across to Rarity. They were going to play a trick on Pinkie.

“Rarity and I were just speaking about signals at the junction,” said Rainbow, “we can't be too careful about signals, but then I needn't say that to a really useful engine like you, Pinkie.”

Pinkie felt flattered.

“Yes indeed. We've had spoken about backing signals,” put in James, “they need extra special care you know. Would you like me to explain?”

“No thank you, Rarity,” said Pinkie, “I know all about signals.”

Pinkie was a little worried.

“I wonder what backing signals are,” she thought, “never mind, I'll manage.”

She puffed crossly to her trucks and felt better. She came to a signal.

“Bother, it's a danger,” Pinkie groaned.

The signal moved to show line cleared. It's arm moved up instead of down. Pinkie had never been that sort of signal before.

“Down means go and up means stop,” she thought, “so upper still must mean go back. I know. It's one of those backing signals.”

“Come on, Pinkie,” said her driver, “off we go.” But then Pinkie started to reveal. “Stop! You're going the wrong way!”

“But it's a backing signal,” Pinkie protested and told him about Rainbow and Rarity. The driver laughed and explained.

“Oh, dear,” said Pinkie, “let's start quickly before they see us.”

She was too late. Rainbow saw everything.

That night, the big engines talked about signals. They thought the subject was funny. Pinkie thought they were being very silly.



The Fat Controller's engines love their work. Rainbow likes pulling the Rainboom express, Twilight likes helping on Thomas’ branch line and Pinkie likes shunting in the yards. But none of them likes being a middle engine. It's no fun being stuck in the middle. One morning, Pinkie was cheerfully collecting coal trucks from the smelter's yards, where Arry and Bert worked. They like to play tricks on steam engines. Pinkie didn't want to fall for their tricks again. But before she knew it, she was stuck in the middle.

“Oh bother!” huffed Pinkie crossly.

“Little pink piggy in the middle!” Arry teased.

Pinkie's driver was cross. With coal trucks in front of her and coal cars behind, Pinkie had to go slowly. Rainbow was in the yards when Pinkie steamed slowly by.

“Ha-Ha! It's Slow-Coach Pinkie!” Rainbow laughed.

“You wouldn't be laughing if you were stuck in the middle,” Pinkie fumed.

And she went all the way to the Coaling Plant. One, by one, she shunted her coal trucks onto the tipper's loading ramp and the coal was unloaded. Percy was not allowed to cross the loading ramp until the tipper had been turned off. It was against the rules. But as soon as her driver and fireman left, there was trouble. Applejack arrived to pick up coal. She bumped into the coal trucks and the coal trucks bumped into Pinkie. Pinkie was pushed onto the loading ramp.

“Help!” cried Pinkie, “I'm not a coal truck!”

But no-one heard him. Pinkie was hoisted up, tipped over and brought back down again. After Pinkie was load back down to the ground, the Manager was very cross.

“You have caused confusion and delay!” he said, “I'll have to report this to the Fat Controller.”

That night, the Fat Controller spoke severely to Pinkie.

“I'm very disappointed in you, Pinkie,” he said, “you know it's against the rules to go on to the tipper's loading ramp.”

“Sorry sir,” Pinkie said sadly, “But it wasn't my fault. It's because those diesels made me a middle engine.”

“Nevertheless, you will shunt trucks in the yards until I can get to the bottom of this,” said the Fat Controller sharply.

“Pah!” said Rainbow, thinking that no one can hear, “I can handle those diesels with bent buffers and a busted boiler!”

“Then you will do Percy's run to the smelter,” said the Fat Controller.

“Yes sir,” said Rarity.

“The next day, Rainbow arrived at the smelter. She was determined to be tricked by Arry and Bert.

“Ello, Rainbow,” oozed Arry, “come to learn a thing or two from those who know?”

“Just get my trucks ready and stay out of my way,” huffed Rainbow importantly.

“Yes, ma’am,” Bert chimed greasily.

Rainbow cheerfully backed up to her trucks. She was certain she had fooled Arry and Bert, but she was wrong. As Arry shunted trucks in front of her.

“Little blue piggy in the middle!” chortled Arry.

“Just like Pinkie!” Jeered Bert.

“I am NOT like Pinkie,” puffed Rainbow, “I am not a middle engine, and I am not moving.”

And she didn't. When the Fat Controller heard the news he sent Pinkie to fetch Rainbow. This made Pinkie happy. She buffered up to Rainbow and took her along with all the trucks to the docks.

“Right on time,” said the Manager, as Pinkie puffed in, “but what does that big blue engine doing in the middle?”

“Learning,” Pinkie replied.

“Learning what?” asked the Manager.

“Learning to be a middle engine,” Pinkie laughed.

Rainbow covered herself in steam hoping no-one would recognize her, but it was good. There is only one big blue engine with a rainbow-coloured smokebox on the island and everyone knows her name is Rainbow!”



It was winter. A thick blanket of snow lay over the Island of Sodor. All the engines were busy carrying passengers and goods from station to station. Sometimes they need to warn people they are coming, so steam engines blow their whistles. And diesel engines sound their electric horns. One day, Pinkie took some troublesome trucks to the smelters' yard. She whistled hello to Splatter and Dodge. But Splatter and Dodge just laughed.

“Call that a whistle?” mocked Splatter, “Just listen to this.” And they blew their horns loudly.

“Diesels can do everything better than steamies,” Dodge sneered.

“My whistle's as good as your horns,” puffed Pinkie crossly, “Just you wait and see.”

Pinkie practiced loud whistling. She blew louder, and louder and louder. At last she was ready to surprise Splatter and Dodge. Later, Pinkie went back to the quarry. She rolled up behind Splatter and Dodge, took an extra big puff and blew as loudly as she could. Splatter and Dodge were surprised.

“I told you my whistle is as good as your silly old horns,” laughed Pinkie. Now that she had a super-loud whistle... Pinkie couldn't wait to use it again. When she saw Thomas in the sidings, she took a big puff... and blew as loud as she could. Thomas was so surprised he shunted back into his trucks, he was cross.

“That wasn't funny,” he sniffed.

Pinkie didn't notice. She was too busy having fun. Pinkie saw Bertie the bus. She took another big puff and blew. Bertie skidded all over the road and fell into a ditch.

“Percy!” he cried crossly, “you nearly caused an accident!”

But Pinkie had already chuffed away. That evening, Twilight told Pinkie to stop surprising her friends.

“You made Bertie skid across the road and Thomas’ trucks got damaged,” said Twilight. Pinkie was sorry.

“I won't do it again,” she wailed, “I promise.”

But the next day, Pinkie was bringing the milk train from the dairy.

“I wish I could have one more loud whistle,” she said to herself.

She couldn't see any people or engines. But there was something else Pinkie couldn't see. Trevor was taking food to the farm animals. With snow on the ground, they couldn't find any grass to eat. Pinkie took the biggest puff of all... and blew. Trevor was so surprised, his trailer bumped into a pile of logs. A log fell and rolled down the hill. Snow stuck to the log. It turned into a snowball. The snowball got bigger and bigger. Pinkie was enjoying herself... until she saw the snowball. The Snowball rolled right into Pinkie, covering her in snow.

“Oh, no!” cried Pinkie, “Oh, no!”

Luckily, no one was hurt. But her driver was cross.

“Now I will have to go for help,” he said. Pinkie waited in the cold. Her funnel was freezing, and her axles were shivering. At last Fluttershy arrived with the Fat Controller. He was very cross indeed.

“Whistles are for safety,” he told Pinkie, “not for playing games. You must only use your whistle when the time is right.”

“Yes, sir,” shivered Pinkie, and she promised to use her whistle properly from now on. The next day, Pinkie was a very quiet engine indeed. She didn't use her whistle once. But as Percy came out of the tunnel, she gasped. A big snowdrift had slipped onto the tracks. Pinkie heard Twilight. She was heading straight for the snowdrift! If she did not stop in time, she would have an accident!

“I must warn her!” cried Pinkie. Pinkie took the biggest puff she had ever taken, and she blew the loudest whistle she had ever blown.

“Something must be wrong!” cried Twilight, and she applied his brakes just in time.

“Cinders and ashes!” she gasped, “thank you, Pinkie!”

That evening, the Fat Controller came to the sheds.

“Well done, Pinkie!” he boomed, “you blew your whistle at the right time and saved Twilight from an accident. You are a really useful engine, and a safe one.”

Pinkie was so proud, her firebox tingled. Pinkie uses her whistle safely now and all her friends are glad to see her.



Fluttershy the little shy engine was very excited. She was wearing a brand-new whistle that shown like gold. She was off to the seaside. Her driver was explaining everything as they puffed along the line.

“There's a seaside village near here, and every year, they have a big parade with a special attraction for all the visitors,” he explained, “this year, Fluttershy, thanks to your unique appearance, you're the special attraction.”

“What does a special attraction do?” asked Fluttershy.

“Oh, just smiles and blows whistles at everyone,” replied her driver, “we're almost there. Listen, you can hear the seagulls.”

Soon, they reached the little station by the village. But instead of a big welcome, there was just one man. He whispered to Fluttershy's driver and turned sadly away.

“Well, if that doesn't take the biscuit,” said Fluttershy's driver, “they've run out of room in the parade and don't need a special attraction after all. We've got to go home Fluttershy. I'm sorry girl.”

“So am I,” sighed Fluttershy. Pinkie was shunting in the yard. She didn't expect to see Fluttershy.

“What are you doing back so soon?” she asked.

Before Fluttershy could reply, the Fat Controller arrived.

“Leave these trucks please Pinkie,” he told her, “there's an emergency at the harbour.”

“Come on, Pinkie,” said her driver. “this'll be trouble with Bulstrode.”

“Who's Bulstrode?” wondered Pinkie. She was still surprised about Fluttershy, and now she had two puzzles to sort out. Her driver explained.

“Bulstrode is disagreeable barge. He never stops complaining,” he told her. Her driver was right about Bulstrode. Today, the barge was more bad temper than ever.

“Come on, come on!” complained Bulstrode, “why aren't you cars where you should be?”

“There's no engine, and we can only go where we put!” shouted the trucks, “you're in the wrong place, not us!”

When Pinkie arrived, Bulstrode was sulking, and the trucks were crosser still.

“Our stone is for Bulstrode,” said the trucks, “please put us in a siding so that we can load him up and be rid of him.”

But the trucks were being careless. As Pinkie was lining them up, they burst through some buffers.

“Help, help!” They wailed, but it was too late.

Pinkie pushes the trucks one by one on top of Bulstrode and is left horrified.

“Oh!” cried Bulstrode, “I'm sinking!”

“Serves you right!” giggled the trucks, “you were always barging in and moaning.”

It took a very long time to clear the mess. Pinkie watched as Bulstrode was towed to the beach.

“There you are,” said the workmen, “now you just stay here. Children can play you all day and at long last you'll be useful.”

Bulstrode just groaned.

When Pinkie got home, she and Fluttershy exchanged all their news.

“Well, we both had seaside surprises today,” laughed Fluttershy, “But driver says that I'm a special attraction anyway, and so are you. Every time we go on our own line.”

“What do you mean?” asked Pinkie, “Well, all we have to do is smile and blow whistles at everyone.”