Twilight the Fowler 4F enjoys working on the Canterlot & Central Territory Railway. She works hard and makes everything on the railway go like clockwork. But she never boasts about it despite the other engines complimenting her.
"The trucks always behave well when she's around," whistled Applejack.
"Even the passengers have stopped grumbling," puffed Rarity.
"There are two ways to do things around here, the Twilight way, or the wrong way," joked Lyra.
"And don't we know it!" they all said.
Eventually, Twilight was due at the repair yard for her monthly inspection. Celestia had to look for another engine to take over Twilight's duty until she came back, but she also needed another engine to deal with the goods trains too.
At Ponyville station, Pinkie was delivering supplies for the station cafeteria and noticed Celestia on the platform.
"Hello, Celestia!" she called. However, Celestia didn't reply, she entered her office before Pinkie could say anything else, "Oh, okay. Goodbye then!"
Celestia dialed a number on her phone and waited for an answer. "Hello? Yes. It's me, Celestia. I'm in jeopardy. No, I'm not on the game show, I need another engine," Celestia listened intently to the person on the phone, "Oh, you have one? Two? Two BR Class 14s? Sounds perfect! Thank you! I'll give them a trial." and she hung up. But, she couldn't thinking to herself. After all, she knew steam engines and diesel engines had a bit of… history.
Later, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie, Rarity and Fluttershy were resting near the main shed when they heard a strange sound.
"What was that?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"That sounded like....a horn," replied Applejack.
"Oh, oh! You mean a ship's horn?" whistled Pinkie.
"No, Pinkie. I mean a...diesel...horn," all the engines frowned, including Pinkie, when they heard those words.
It wasn't long before not one, but two Class 14 diesel-hydraulic engines glided smoothly into view. Both were painted in the sapphire blue livery used by the Crystal Empire and Frozen North Railway, the numbers 'D9556' and 'D9557' were visible on their cab sides.
"I do hope they're nice..." whispered Fluttershy, but she was only half-right.
"Hmph, their controller thinks Trixie needs to learn. She is terribly mistaken, diesels don't learn how to do things. Why should we? Trixie already knows everything. We don't just run a railway, we improve it. After all, Trixie is revolutionary," boasted the diesel numbered 'D9556'.
The other diesel shushed her, "Don't be a braggart, Trixie. We are just as outdated as they are."
"Nonsense, Trixie is not as outdated as those 'teapots'," all the engines had overheard everything.
"Why, I never!" exclaimed Rarity.
"She thinks she's so rev...rev-whatever-it-was-she-said!" huffed Rainbow.
"Yeah! Rev-o-thinga-gummy!" added Pinkie.
The commotion died down as Celestia approached the main shed, the two diesels purred towards the engines.
"Engines, meet Trixie and Sunset Shimmer. They will be here on trial until Twilight returns. If they meet my standards, they will stay here and work on my railway," the engines were flabbergasted.
"Good afternoon," greeted Trixie, "Pleased to meet such fine engines like you."
"Yeah, good afternoon," Rainbow Dash replied curtly, who obviously did not fall for her guise.
"Trixie, Sunset, I want you to shunt trucks at the goods yard, I expect everything to go smoothly," with that, Celestia left.
As the two diesels also left, the engines tried to plan a way to make Trixie see some sense, or at least send her away. But they actually had no need to do that.
As days went by, the two diesels gradually got used to working on the railway. Sunset asked questions about how the engines did things. They ignored her at first, but when they realised that she was willing to listen, they warmed up to her and happily told her all about their ways of handling their work. Trixie on the other hand was the exact opposite, she kept trying to convince Celestia that dieselisation was the key to the railway's survival by trying to be more 'efficient' that the other engines. But she ended up getting into all sorts of trouble.
One day, Rarity was sent to pick up empty trucks from the goods yard to take to the coaling depot. She didn't like pulling trucks, and she didn't want to meet Trixie again, but she knew she had to finish her jobs.
Trixie and Sunset were busy shunting in the goods yard. There was a clear difference between the two diesels, Sunset was carefully pushing and pulling the trucks into place, Trixie was biffing and bashing the trucks roughly.
"Careful, Trixie!" exclaimed Sunset, "You might cause an accident!"
"Nonsense," replied Trixie snootily, "This is my way of doing things, the more efficient way of doing things."
Rarity had overheard the conversation as she steamed in, "Well, if your method is more 'efficient', perhaps you would collect the trucks for my train."
Trixie, delighted to show off, oiled away, "Of course, Rarity."
As Trixie did her work, Rarity struck up a conversation with Sunset Shimmer.
"You're...different from the usual kind of diesel, in a good way," said Rarity.
"Well, I had some time to think about myself after I...um" Sunset paused for a moment, a sad look crossed her face.
"You what?" asked Rarity, concerned.
"It was in 1967, and I was in a scrapyard near Neighagra Falls. I was just picking up some scrap metal when I saw a sight that would be forever burned into my mind."
"What did you see?" Rarity asked, a bit unnerved when she heard the word 'scrapyard'.
Sunset remained silent for a moment, then she spoke in a somber tone, "I saw one of my sisters being...cut up...for...scrap. That's when I realised I was just as outdated as I had once considered steam engines."
Rarity gasped, "I'm so sorry you had to see that."
"No need to apologise, Rarity. Let's not talk about it, alright?"
Rarity agreed, and she changed the subject, "Trixie's a real show-off, isn't she?"
"Yes, she's always thought that steam engines were withdrawn because you all...well...weren't that good at handling goods and passengers anymore."
"What?" Rarity exclaimed, quite taken aback, "Nonsense! Diesels replace steam engines for one reason and one reason only, you all are cheaper to operate. No offense to you, Sunset."
"None taken," then she noticed something, "What's happening over there?"
"I don't know, maybe we should go see what it is."
The two engines approached a siding where Trixie was trying to move some trucks, they were very old and hadn't been moved or touched in a long time. Trixie didn't know that the brakes on the trucks were locked on.
"Come on! Come on! Trixie wants you to move!" she shouted as she surged forwards, but the trucks didn't move.
"Oh! Oh!" they groaned, "We can't and we won't!"
Rarity and Sunset chuckled as they watched.
Trixie lost patience and continued to pull, "Come on, you silly trucks!"
"Oh! Oh! You can pull all you want, but we can't go and we won't!" groaned the trucks.
This made Trixie even more cross and she gave a great heave, the trucks jerked forwards. Their brakes gave way and the gear on one truck jammed into the sleepers, and it derailed. Trixie could not move the trucks at all.
Rarity collected the other trucks and puffed alongside Trixie, a smirk on her face, "Thank you for arranging these trucks, I must go now."
"Don't you need these trucks?" Trixie asked, refering to the old trucks she had tried to move.
"Erm, no. Goodbye now!" whistled Rarity, as she pulled away.
Sunset rolled next to Trixie, "Trixie took all this trouble for nothing, why didn't you say anything?"
"You didn't ask anyone about the trucks. Besides, you looked like you were having a ball of a time being 'revolutionary'," teased Sunset, and she went back to work.
Trixie had to help the workmen clean up the mess, she grumbled as the broken trucks were lifted onto flatbeds and she took them away.
Rarity was chuffing happily along the line. She didn't mind pulling the trucks, she was still chuckling to herself.
"Silly old Trixie," she muttered.
She met Rainbow Dash at a junction, Rainbow was surprised to see Rarity in such a good mood.
"Hey there, Rarity! You not usually this happy when pulling trucks," puffed Rainbow.
"Well, no," replied Rarity, she then told Rainbow Dash what had happened to Trixie earlier.
Rainbow chortled loudly, "Serves her right! I wish I was there to see that!"
"I wonder what Celestia would say."
"Whatever it will be, it can't be good."
And she was right.
"Trixie, I thought you would be a proper shunting diesel. But I might be wrong. I want you to prove to me that I did not make the wrong call to bring you here," Celestia said sternly.
"Yes, Celestia," replied Trixie.
The next day, Trixie was shunting in the goods yards as usual. Sunset had to go collect some empty trucks to bring back.
She was boasting to the troublesome trucks as she shunted them into place, "When Celestia sees how good I am, she'll get rid of steam engines once...and for all!"
This gave the trucks an idea. As Trixie oiled pass, they started to sing. Their leader, D.I.SCORD, sang the loudest.
"If you're better than the steamies, your loads must be longer!"
"If you're better than the steamies, you must be stronger!"
Trixie was sure that she was stronger than the steam engines, "Trixie will pull all of you at once!" she proclaimed.
D.I.SCORD and the trucks laughed, "Pull us all? Then you must be the strongest!"
"Of course! Trixie is the strongest!"
Meanwhile, Sunset was on her way back to the goods yard when she saw an engine she's never met before. It was Twilight.
Sunset oiled alongside, "Hello there! Are you Twilight Sparkle?"
"That's me! How did you know?"
"You friends have told me all about you, I'm Sunset Shimmer."
"It's nice to meet you!"
"Where have you been all this time?"
"I've been at the repair yard for my monthly inspection, I heard about two Class 14 diesels coming here. So I assume that's you and who else?"
"Her name is Trixie, and she's probably up to her tricks right about now, like she always is."
"Only one way to find out."
The two engines arrived just in time to witness everything. Trixie had shunted the naughtiest trucks together into one long train, D.I.SCORD, the naughtiest of all, was directly behind her.
"Hold back, hold back," he whispered to the other trucks. The silly trucks giggled, but they encouraged Trixie to pull anyways.
"Heave ho! Heave ho! Pull us all! Pull us all!" sang the trucks.
Trixie smirked, there was plenty of sand on the rails, and her wheels gripped firmly. She surged forwards.
"Oh!" groaned D.I.SCORD, "This can't be good!"
Twilight and Sunset watched in amusement, "What is she up to?" asked Twilight.
Pinkie, who had overheard Trixie earlier, giggled, "She thinks she's the strongest engines on the railway!"
"Hmm," sighed Sunset, "this should be interesting to watch."
"Urgh! Oh!" wailed D.I.SCORD, "I don't like this at all!"
His rusty metal frame began to warp and bend, and his rotten wooden planks started to creak and groan.
"I'm going to come apart!" he exclaimed.
D.I.SCORD burst open like a pinata, the trucks stopped giggling. For the first time, the goods yard was silent, but not for long.
A familiar person approached Trixie, "Well, Trixie, so you don't know your own strength, is that it?" Luna, the deputy controller, said sternly.
Trixie knew Luna wasn't teasing her, "N-no, Luna." she replied nervously.
Luna scrutinises the remains of D.I.SCORD, she attributed the incident to his poor build. But she still wasn't happy about Trixie.
"I'm afraid this railway has no place for engines like you. You were brought here to take care of the goods yard, not show off all week! Such behavior is unacceptable. I want you...off this railway...now!"
"But...but..."
"I don't care about you excuses, Trixie! Leave!"
Poor Trixie was sent away in disgrace. As she departed, she wondered what her controller would say when she heard what had happened.
Luna then turned to Sunset, "As for you, you have done well these past few days. It would be a pity to not allow you to work on this railway."
"Do you mean I get to stay?" asked Sunset in surprise.
"I couldn't have put it better myself," replied Luna, "As a gift from my sister, you will get a fresh new coat of paint."
"Thank you!" exclaimed Sunset, and she oiled away to the repair yard to be repainted.
A couple of evenings later, the other engines were in the main shed. They were excited to be working with Sunset, but they were also a bit concerned.
"It's great to have you back, Twilight," said Applejack, "Though I'm a little worried for Sunset."
"I do hope she's alright, I heard she's been at the repair yard for a couple of days now," said Rarity.
"There's nothing to worry about, Rarity. She's only getting repainted," puffed Twilight.
"But a repaint doesn't usually take this long, Twilight," said Rainbow Dash.
"That's because Sunset Shimmer has received a new livery," said Celestia, who had just stepped into the main shed.
"A new livery?" asked Fluttershy.
Just then, a familiar horn sounded out and Sunset rolled smoothly into the main shed. The engines blinked in astonishment. Sunset was no longer in her sapphire blue livery, instead she sported a brilliant amber paintwork with crimson warning stripes along her body and yellow and black warning stripes on her bufferbeams.
"Well, that's...uh..." began Twilight.
"Rather bright..." finished Rarity.
"Well, it's much nicer than my old standardised livery. Having a personalised livery means I really belong here." said Sunset.
"True," replied Rarity, "It's Celestia's way of saying that we might have our differences, but we can still be really useful and reliable."
"Indeed, we all are. Steam engine or diesel engine, we all are very useful engines!" whistled Twilight.
And all the engines agreed.