Equestrian Railroads through the years.

by Steampunkman

Surprises both good and bad.

Canterlot, capital city and center of Equestria showing the unity between Earth, Unicorn and Pegasus races. The crisp cold air rolls across the heated boiler of the friendship express, two short whistle blast and the train is off heading for Manhatten. As the engine struggles with its ten coach train two earth ponies, both of which had soot gray fur with brown manes and tails. That was all the two had in common from the average eye since both were different sizes, physical condition and even the style of their manes and tails. As the two watched from the engine shed the smaller one started shaking his head.

"It's a damn shame." Said the short rotund one. "Five years ago that was the pride of the railroads and now that tiny engine is making us the laughing stock of the Northern region."

"Careful Valve, you keep going on like this again and we'll have to take ya back to the hospital. And I doubt mom or dad would want to pay the bills this time." Spoken from the more physically fit of the two.

The smaller stallion huffed, annoyed by the comment but yet he looked up in the sky wondering how life was going for their parents, he was about to say something when a familiar red pegasus, she stood in stark contrast to the two stallions with her fur and yellow mane. "Hey Ballast, we got our orders for a small train to take to Canterlot Junction and back."

The larger stallion stood up and stretched, nodding and going to grab a few tools for the job as the mare turned her attention to Valve Gear. "Oh, and you've been asked over to the yard office. Something about a promotion."

Valve Gear looks up at her confused. "What, a promotion? Why, we've only been here for a few years."

The mare shrugs and walks off. "No clue, but I gotta get my engine so you have fun now."

With that Valve Gear stood up and started making his way across the yard, sadly over the short life of the railroad very little has happened since most of the farmers in Northern Equestria out right refuse to have these "smoke belching monsters" take away the food they grow. Soon enough he reached the yard office and walked in where he was directed to the second floor.

Upon walking in he was shocked to find the CERR's Chief Mechanical Engineer Span Bolster, a massive Clydesdale mare. Valve Gear being shocked that he was asked to meet her for being a mechanic locked up before standing tall and trying to be formal. "Muh-Miss Span Bolster! If I knew you asked for I would have-" He was cut off as Span stood up.

"At ease already, I'll cut to the case and say that my last assistant was fired and I need a replacement. You've been giving your all on the shop floors from what I've been told so you've been promoted, congratulations." She said in a very plain tone.

Before Valve could respond Span spoke up again. "Now I got a job for you, do well and you can keep your job. A while ago we ordered some new motive power to test out on the railroad and you're to go with the crew to pick up the locomotives in an hour from Las Pegasus port #4. Normally I'd go myself but I'm being dragged north to oversee a line extension. Oh, and we ordered four different engines from the Minotaur Kingdom, list is right here. We'll talk about your work more when I get back." And just like that she pushed Valve out of her office while giving him the list, locked up and left leaving the confused, if slightly giddy, stallion alone with the orders and crew he'd be working with.

"Uhm... Right that's great news thank you Miss Span Bolster..." Then her orders finally hit him like a brick and he became estatic and happily trotted off to speak with the crew.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

An hour later, Valve was on his way to the train to take him to Las Pegasus. When he got there he was shocked when Full Throttle shouted out. "Hey Valve! We just got the good news so congrats!"

Valve smiled as he climbed aboard the caboose where he, along with Throttle, Ballast and Smokebox the four had a short celebration before Throttle and Smokebox had to return to the engine to head out. When they left Valve turned to his brother. "I thought you three went out to Canterlot Junction, how'd you get back so fast?"

Ballast spoke up as he waved his arm outside the window giving the signal to move out. "You know the junction is only five or six miles out, we got lucky when the southbound freight got helper service from another crew." He then climbed into the cupola to keep an eye out for hotboxes.

Valve nodded, remembering how the NER's "heavy freight engine" struggles to pull 300 ton trains over the steep grades and admit-ably rough track work of the CERR. That's when it dawns on him why they ordered the new engines, the management must be desperate for new power and want to test out what the NER won't make since they wouldn't need it.

After an hour of travel they reach the docks and have their engine disconnected while one of the NER's dock tanks pushes the caboose and boxcar to pier four where the engines wait. Valve and Ballast get out and walk over to the engines, the younger brother takes out the list and starts double checks them.

"Let's see, one 4-4-0, check. One 2-6-0, check. One 0-6-0, check. And one 2-8-0..." He has to stop as the biggest engine they ordered was replaced with a 2-4-0 Porter. "Ballast stay here, I think the dock manager made a mistake." His brother nods as Valve walks to the dock office, it doesn't take long until he can meet with the very old goat.

"Hello, I'm Valve Gear sent to-" He gets interrupted as the goat talks.

"Oh ya horses is here, perfect. We got a ship that needs tah unload and yer ingenes is in the way."

"As I was saying." Valve said. "We're here to pick up our locomotives but one of them is missing and we got that tiny porter instead."

The goat looked confused and rubbed his horn before speaking up. "Ya didn't hear, another war broke out in the homeland and the Minotaurs took that big ingene. Ya gotta be lucky to get most of ya order and a free wee ingene."

Valve face hooved and groaned. "But it's not free cause we payed for the bigger one! Isn't there anything you can do?"

The goat sighed. "Nope, ya gonna have to talk to the company that made em. Might as well take em ingenes now though, we oiled em up for ya's."

Valve rubbed his face in disbelief before turning around. "Well, thanks for that. We'll get them outta your horns now." With that the stallion left and returned to the crew whom were getting the engines ready for travel back to Canterlot.

"Hey Valve what's the deal? Is that other engine somewhere else?" Ballast said.

Valve shook his head. "Yeah but we're not getting it, let's head back..."

Author's Note:

So that's the first chapter, I hope everything is going well and people enjoy it. And cause I know at least one person will ask what the engines were/looked like I'll post them here. Plus this will help visualize the engines for future use.

The 4-4-0.

The 2-6-0.

The 0-6-0.

And that pesky 2-4-0.

Comments

[Razalon The Lizardman]

I'll be frank and say that the writing needs a lot of work. Some of the bigger problems include tense shifts and rushed pacing. The opening doesn't paint a complete picture of what the story will focus on, and the characters fail to hook me and make me want to follow them.

My advice is to just keep reading quality stories and absorb the techniques they employ for crafting their narratives. There's also some groups here on Fimfiction which help teach about writing, so check those out if you really want to improve.

As someone who was obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine as a kid, I would love to read more quality Fimfic stories about trains.

[Steampunkman]

8024253 Thank you for the criticism and I will take what you said to heart if I write more chapters. Truth be told part of me wanted to not post this yet and work on it more before submitting but laziness won that battle. Again thank you for reading and being honest with your comment while being helpful and I hope you have a good day.

[Razalon The Lizardman]

8024787 You're welcome.