Lonesome Whistle

by Vauclains Understudy

Mudhen

If Pinkie were indeed with Ironside on the train, she would’ve been able to tell that he was still horribly worried. He had finished reading everything there was to read within the locomotive drawings he had been holding, and now his eyes were just darting around to random places on the top page. His left leg had been perpetually bouncing since the train departed. His mind had long since left the horrid memories of his final day in Ponyville behind, and was now solely concentrated on the financial and legal quagmire in which he had gotten himself stuck. He knew that if word of his drunken beat-down on Gallow reached ears outside of Ponyville, he would have a very difficult time trying to find a sustainable income regardless of what job he applied for.

“Last stop: Silverton!” called out the conductor as the train began to slow. By this point, the only ponies left on the train were Ironside and some prospectors looking to strike it rich in the silver mines surrounding the town which had received its name as a result of its close proximity to those mines. It was at Silverton that the tracks became dual gauge: that is, they had a third inner rail which allowed narrow gauge trains to run on the same right-of-way as standard gauge trains. Narrow gauge trains were the norm around this part of Equestria; the mountainous terrain held steep grades and narrow ledges that were far too dangerous for standard gauge trains. Narrow gauge trains, with their lower center of gravity and narrower footing, were able to negotiate these right-of-ways with much less trouble and with a lower risk of falling off the ledges.

As soon as 1015 came to a complete stop, Ironside and the prospectors disembarked. Iron looked around at the populace. It was pretty similar to most depictions of the western frontier he had seen in movies or read about in novels. The stallions had a very rough-and-tumble appearance to them, and the mares were mainly showgirls who worked at the saloon in the center of town. The ponies all seemed relatively polite, however, and the showgirls didn’t look as though they were in the prostitution business or something of that sort. There were actually prospecting mares as well as stallions, all looking to strike it rich on their own or with their companions in the mines of Silverton. Ironside began to feel more comfortable once he came to this realization.

“Excuse me, son,” came a voice from behind him, “Are you an engineer by any chance?” Ironside turned to see a mare with a ten-gallon hat and leather vest standing behind him.

“Yes, I am indeed,” the Pegasus answered.

“Well, if you’re looking for work, I could use a colt like you,” the mare answered.

“Who are you exactly?” asked Ironside.

“Oh, my apologies,” the mare replied, “The name’s Theofillya [Theophilia]. I’m the mayor of Silverton. And what might your name be?”

“You want my full name?” asked Ironside.

“Sure,” Theofillya replied.

“Alexander Matthias William Baldwin,” the colt stated.

“Oh, wow,” Theofillya said with a chuckle, “That’s quite a mouthful. You got a nickname?”

“Ironside,” was the answer as the colt extended his iron-edged wings.

“A very fitting nickname, if you ask me,” said Theofillya with a smile, “Hang on, you said your last name is Baldwin. You mean “Baldwin” as in…?” asked the mayor as she indicated a locomotive standing a few hundred yards away.

“Yes, I am related. Distantly, but still related,” Iron replied with a smile.

Theofillya beamed upon hearing that. “Then you’re perfect for the job,” she said.

Theofillya led Ironside to the locomotive she had indicated when asking the colt of his family history. The engine in question was indeed a Baldwin product; a K-27, to be precise. This engine was one of a 15-strong class of 2-8-2 Mikado-type locos built for the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad in 1903. Compared to Iron’s main engines, this engine was pretty small, though compared to her narrow gauge companions she was quite large and powerful. Her road number, painted in broad white numbers on her cab sides, was 463.

“This fine lass hasn’t had an engineer for a while. I keep her in serviceable condition just in case anypony wants to join the railroad with her. Looks like today’s her lucky day,” said Theofillya as she and the engineer stopped next to 463.

“She is quite a looker,” Ironside replied, “I’ve never driven a K-27, though they are one of my favorite classes.”

Theofillya chuckled. “You’re the first pony I’ve met who knew this engine’s class just from looking at her,” she said, “I think my work here is done. I’ll let you get acquainted with her for now. When you’re ready to start work, meet me by the coal tipple.”

“Will do,” Ironside answered. Theofillya trotted off to the coal tipple a few hundred yards away.

Ironside approached the engine. “Hello,” he said out loud.

“Hi there!” replied the voice in Iron’s head. Ironside’s eyes widened upon hearing the voice. Thinking that Pinkie Pie had somehow snuck on board the train without his knowledge, he trotted around 463 and peeked into her cab to see if the pink pony was around. “What’re you looking for?” asked the voice. Realizing then that the voice he was hearing was indeed inside his head, he sighed and walked over to 463’s front.

“Nothing,” he replied, “Just thought I heard someone I knew.”

“Well, the only one talking to you right now is me, and I don’t think you know me,” 463 said.

“You’re Denver and Rio Grande Western K-27 No. 463,” Iron stated.

“That’s my official title,” 463 replied, “But that’s not what I go by.”

“Well, what do you go by?” asked Iron.

“M,” the engine replied.

“M?” asked Iron, “Like, ‘M’ for ‘Mudhen’?”

“Yep,” 463 replied. “Mudhen” was the nickname given to the K-27s because of their tendency to waddle around on the ground like hens whenever they derailed.

“So you’re my new engineer, huh?” asked M.

“That’s right,” replied Iron, “Name’s Ironside.”

“Why’d they name you that?” asked M.

Ironside stretched out his wings to give M a good look at the iron leading edges. “That’s why.”

“Oooo, shiny!” mused M.

Ironside stifled his laughter upon hearing her remark. “You’re funny,” he said smiling.

“Applesauce!” shouted M for no apparent reason.

“And random,” put in Iron.

“So, we gonna start work or what?” asked M.

“Oh, forgot about that,” said Iron.

“Very nice,” M replied sarcastically.

Ironside climbed into the cab and went over the controls as he had done so many times before. M’s controls were the same as any other American engine he had driven, so he felt quite comfortable as he sat down in the engineer’s chair. “It’s great to be back in the cab,” he said out loud.

“What do you mean?” asked the engine.

“Hmm? Oh, I’ve kind of been out of work,” Iron responded.

“Why’s that? You get fired?” asked M.

“Yeah, big time. Also got kicked out of Canterlot and Ponyville,” the engineer answered. He heard a clapping in his head as M answered with a sarcastic “Nice.” “Well, I deserve it anyway,” Iron said, now with a more melancholy tone in his voice.

“Why? What did you do?” asked M.

Ironside lowered his head. “Well…” It took him a while to find the courage to explain to her what had happened between Gallow and him. But finally he did, including what Twilight had told him afterwards.

“Dude…” M said finally, “You really screwed up.”

“I know…” he sighed, “I don’t even deserve to be in your cab right now. I think it was pure luck that Theofillya even approached me.”

“Well, to be fair, you were highly intoxicated at the time,” M said, “I can’t say you weren’t to blame for what happened, but you weren’t totally in your right mind when the shit hit the fan.”

“It doesn’t matter,” replied Iron, “I can’t go back. They’ll never forgive me for what I did.”

“Then just stay here and work with me,” said M, “At least you’ve got an engine to drive and trains to pull. You can’t change what’s already happened. You just have to move on and be happy with what you have now.” Ironside nodded, knowing what M said was true. But knowing that the past couldn’t be changed still hurt him emotionally. You can’t be happy when you know that you’ve done damage that can’t be repaired, he thought to himself. “You don’t know that,” M countered, obviously able to read his mind, “Just give it time. I feel like they’ll want you back eventually.”

“But what about you?” asked Iron as he backed M towards the coal tipple and Theofillya. “I mean, I don’t want to just leave you behind once I go back. Theofillya told me you haven’t had an engineer for a while.”

“Well, are there any slim gauge tracks near Ponyville?”

“Um, there’s an old streetcar line near the edge of town that’s slim gauge,” Iron answered.

“Well, there you go,” M assured him, “I’ll still be around when you go back.”

“I’d hope so,” said Iron, “You’re the first friend I’ve made since I got here.”

M accelerated as her mood livened up. “You’re the first engineer who’s called me his friend in a long time,” she said.

“All the more reason to not let the two of us separate,” he said smiling. And so the two new friends backed down towards the coal tipple to begin their work on the line.