A Shocking Announcement
It was Autumn in Ponyville, and the town was cresting on a wave of jubilation. A few days earlier, the world had nearly been destroyed and the magic drained through a hole in the floor. A hole in the floor placed underneath the School of Friendship, but let’s not get into specifics at the moment.
It was thanks to the brave actions of 6 young students, of whom the majority were NOT ponies for once, that the world had been saved. And hence, the entire town was celebrating the bravery of these young individuals, and the defeat of the Arch-Monster herself, Cozy Glow.
So, it was no wonder that the town was in an exceptionally jubilant mood. But this victory was not the only thing that the town was celebrating. As the days grew shorter and colder, it meant that Nightmare Night was approaching, when the town went out trick-and-treating, as well as manufacturers of myriad and various costumes making tidy profits out of proceedings.
Most crucially, the last glorious burst of Autumn signalled the approach of Hearth’s Warming, the celebration of Equestria’s founding and a chance to meet with all the members of family from far and wide. However, what the non-ponies got out of it is hard to judge, given the festival would, in all likelihood, mean little to them.
Sadly, the outpouring of happiness and joy was not to last. That very day, the town would receive a shock that would lead to the demise of their very homes, lives, and town.
An old train clattered out of Canterlot station, swinging under a great viaduct as it steamed along the line. It passed over bridges, through tunnels and even over brief portions of desert as it made its way southward down a single-track railway line.
The train was pulled by an old tank engine. It had 6 brown wheels, a short stumpy boiler, a short stumpy funnel, and a short stumpy dome. It was painted black with red lining, and carried an emblem on its side tanks of an alicorn striding atop a wheel, or as it was commonly nicknamed, ‘cycling alicorn’.
There were 2 carriages coupled to the train. Both of them were old, sturdy 4-wheelers, with 3 compartments each. One was painted blue, and the other green. Behind them was a van painted red and white (although nopony was quite sure why), and to round off the train, a short, compact brake van, with a veranda at each end, painted orange with a single horizontal stripe of purple down the middle.
The train rolled through the countryside toward Ponyville. The driver sounded the whistle to warn people to clear the way as the train rolled down the street and into the station. Unlike a lot of railway stations in Equestria, Ponyville’s platform was a carriage door height, although as a local train this formation lacked the modern coaches with pneumatic doors.
The doors flew open and the passengers alighted. Sadly, there were relatively few these days, thanks to the rival chariot service sucking up so much of the business. However, the local farmers preferred to move the produce by rail, it being much safer than the chariots. They are unpredictable, and have accidents. There hasn’t been a railway accident in Equestria for over 80 years.
The station master walked over to the train. “Any cargo?” he asked.
“Yes,” said the guard, opening the van doors. “This box,” he said, throwing a box with the world ‘fragile’ marked on the side onto the platform, “and this piece of paper.”
“Right then,” the station master replied. “Be ready for the off!”
However, unbeknownst to them, Big Mac was hauling a cart full of apples down the road to the station. Problem was, there was a great big steamroller in his way!
“Can you hurry up?” he called.
The driver of the steamroller (Mac couldn’t quite see them) didn’t reply.
Luckily, Mac knew a shortcut. He swerved to the right and raced through a backstreet, sending produce flying as he raced past them and toward the railway station.
“Hey!” shouted Derpy. “That’s my muffins you’ve ruined!”
“Got a train to catch!” Mac replied. “Sorry!”
At the station, the guard blew his whistle.
“Time to go!” he said.
“We can’t go yet!” the driver replied. “Big Mac hasn’t arrived!”
Several minutes passed. The guard blew his whistle again. Just as the driver was about to set off, the cart arrived, and so appeared an exceptionally red Big Mac. Given he was red anyway, it wasn’t entirely clear how that was different to usual.
“Sorry...I’m...Late!” he panted.
“Sugar Belle hold you up?” the station master added.
“Eeyup.”
The cart was hastily loaded into the van, and Mac jumped onboard the train.
The driver blew his whistle, and the train pulled away, out of the station.
The station master took his piece of paper, and applied some paste to it. He then put it up on the wall. He then walked away, not bothering to see what the sign read.
The notice read as follows:
WITHDRAWAL OF PASSENGER AND FREIGHT SERVICES BETWEEN PONYVILLE, CANTERLOT, APPALOOSA AND DODGE JUNCTION
DUE TO DECLINING PASSENGER AND FREIGHT NUMBERS, AS WELL AS THE INCREASING OPERATING COSTS OF THE RAILWAY FROM DODGE JUNCTION TO CANTERLOT, THE DECISION HAS BEEN MADE TO CLOSE THE LINE FROM HERE TO CANTERLOT, DODGE JUNCTION AND APPALOOSA, EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 16TH, 008 SLR.
ALTERNATE TRANSPORT WILL BE AVAILABLE THROUGH LOCAL CHARIOT COMPANY SET AND CRUST LIMITED.
SIGNED BY THE HEAD OF THE OPERATING BOARD OF EQUESTRIAN RAILWAYS
Jet Set trotted through the yard to the new chariot that had just been acquired by his company. It was sleek and modern, and could seat 50 ponies as well as transport luggage. His wife, Upper Crust, was proudly observing the machine.
“Have you heard?” Set called over. “The railway is closing!”
“At last!” Crust replied. “No there is absolutely nothing in the way of our chariot business. With no alternative, we are free to rip off passengers as much as we like!”
“And bring the future to Ponyville!” Set added. “It will be a utopia of zebra crossings, and traffic lights, roundabouts and T-junctions!”
Both of them laughed. “Just don’t tell Zecora!” Crust guffawed.
Meanwhile, in the school of friendship, the 2nd semester was underway, having got off to a somewhat rocky start with the EEA and then having to deal with a megalomaniac. A megalomaniac who also happened to be adorable and immensely good at hoodwinking people into believing her.
In one of the dormitories, Ocellus sat reading on her bed. Although she had an exam coming up (which she knew she would ace, no problemo), she was reading a book on the railways of Equestria.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. In a panic, the Changeling dropped the book and replaced it with her revision materials.
“Hey, Ocellus!” shouted a muffled voice from outside. “Can we come in?”
“Sure, just finishing up!” Ocellus replied. She stepped over to the door and opened it with her horn-to be sent flying backwards by Smoulder and Silverstream flying through the door.
“It may be advisable to get off our friend, if she wishes to breathe,” Smoulder suggested.
“What’s happening?” asked Ocellus.
“Oh, it’s terrible! It’s terrible!” Silverstream cried.
Smoulder shook her head. “You’ve been paying far too much attention in Rarity’s melodrama lessons.”
“Professor Rarity to you!” came a voice from outside.
“Sorry, professor!” they chorused, in that monotone manner that students do.
“I don’t understand,” Ocellus said, visibly confused. “What’s going on?”
“They’re shutting our railway down,” Smoulder replied, matter-of-factly.
The shock of the news hit the Changeling like a tidal wave. She staggered backwards in shock.
“No,” she whispered. “They can’t!”
“Guess who’s set to make a killing in transportation fares,” Smoulder continued. “Set and Crust, the local chariot firm.”
Ocellus was apparently oblivious to this, apparently in a state of shock with tears leaking from her eyes. “They can’t close it down,” she said, painfully. “It’s the oldest railway in Equestria!”
“But it no longer makes a profit,” Silverstream added. “And OBER doesn’t care how many lives it destroys for the sake of making money.”
This was too much for Ocellus, and she collapsed onto her bed and cried.
Smoulder put her arm around the sobbing Changeling. “It’s OK, it’s OK,” she said soothingly.
“How is this OK?” Ocellus wept. “Surely the Princess can do something!”
“Sorry,” cut in Silverstream, “but when it comes to elected officials and the rules, the Princesses can do nothing. And it’s not like we can just sidestep the rules again.”
A lightbulb appeared over Smoulder’s head. “Actually, there is,” she smiled.
“What?” Ocellus asked.
“We can apply for an LRO!”
Ocellus leapt up. “Of course! That’s how we’ll save it!”
“What’s an LRO?” asked Silverstream. “We don’t have railways back on Mount Aris anymore.”
“What happened to them?” asked Smoulder.
“Storm King blew them up.”
“That sucks.”
Ocellus interrupted. “An LRO is a Light Rail Order! They were introduced to facilitate rail development in poorer and lightly laid areas, with greatly reduced operating regulations in return for a strict limit of 25MPH. That’s how we’ll do it!”
“But what about staff?” asked Silverstream.
“I’ll drive the engine!” Ocellus cried. “I had to infiltrate a railway once, and learned the skills there!”
“I’ll be the guard!” Smoulder exclaimed.
“But how will we raise the money we need to operate the line?” Silverstream enquired. “And who will sell the tickets?”
Smoulder put her hand to her chin. “Filthy Rich could help,” she said. “He’s got a lot of money, if his daughter is anything to go by.”
“Let’s go!” Ocellus exclaimed, and they ran out of the door, excited with their plan.
Silverstream simply stood there, stunned. “By Novo!” was all she said.
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Y'know, I've been tossing out the idea of a Titfield homage for months now, but it looks like you've beaten me to it! I look forward to seeing where this will go.
Ah,, when they said they wanted to keep that track open, they werent Lion.
This has the chance to be a real comedy of errors.
I mean, loving the movie? Spoliers? Spoilers? I got more spoilers than the Crystal Empire Express.
Cant wait for its successor.
ZapApple Galore.
Is it me, or was there news last week about them using this new idea of adding sand boxes and distribution pipes to spread sand before the wheels on the diesels and electrics to get traction through falling leaves? I wonder if they grabbed the first units off steam engines etc.
9258015
Leaves on the line, our national joke.
9258015
That is a terrible pun.
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I hope you enjoy it. Please do spread the word!
9258015
Remind me, which episode does the Crystal Empire Express appear in?
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I think Season 4, Episode 11 according to one link.
Theres This listed as well.
Crystal Empire Express Parents
Or just the Train.
Crystal Empire Express Means Business
Awesome start so far!
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Thanks. Another one will be going up today.
"track"ing, sorry bad pun! but couldn't resist. BTW you forgot the wrong type of snow from a few years back!
9259504
The wrong type of snow? Whatever do you mean?
9259537
it just excuse network rail used (here in the uk) some time back, because there snow plows couldn't remove the snow off the lines one year.
sorry for any confusion this wasn't my intention.
9259787
I remember that. "Stupid thing!" said Percy.
Jet Set and Upper Crust. Haven't changed in the least.
9301039
Nope!
Oh boy it's those snobs again
Okay I know that's how are you guys spell smolder's name but I can't get over that but I'll let that go and figures those two will be the one who's causing this whole trouble
That's an interesting information
Okay so looks like Jet Set and Upper Crust is trying to buy off the oldest train station not only that try to shut it down as well and it looks like the news has spreaded pretty fast and smolder and silver stream told the bad news to Ocellus which she was pretty devastated but it looks like they have an interesting idea what if they can try to run a train business and it looks like they're going to ask Filthy Rich about it I don't know how these kids would drive a train
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Indeed.