The Great Canterlot Train Robbery

by The Blue EM2

Bag and Drag

Lady of Legend was cleared to run out of Cloudsdale Yard within minutes, and departed with a thunderous noise and a furious snort of steam. Behind it were 5 TPO vehicles, one of which was manned by Button, Rumble and Pip. They stayed in contact with the locomotive through the intercom.

And who should be driving the engine?

None other than Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom.

“Check equipment, over,” Scootaloo radioed.

“Copy that,” said the voice of Rumble. "Net deployment mechanism is operational, as is the drop arm. We’ve already got a bag mounted to it and can drop it into place as is needed.”

“Good,” Scootaloo replied.

“Keep the fire hot!” commanded Apple Bloom, as Sweetie Belle shovelled another load of coal into the engine’s firebox. The locomotive, in spite of its small size relative to most engines, could handle the heavy load with ease, and the train rolled into the grade quickly. Down and down it went, speed rising as they took the Cloudsdale curve at speed, before vanishing into another tunnel and curving through the hill. Then as they thundered out of the tunnel, they came straight out onto the mainline.

“Right, time ta open her up!” Apple Bloom called, and pulled the regulator open to full position. Speed continued to rise. First 60, then 70, and finally 80 miles an hour!

“Slow down!” Sweetie Belle called. “If we go too fast, the bag we are picking up will be damaged, and therefore useless. We’re trying to recover the diamonds, not destroy them, remember?”

“We can slow down when we reach the pickup point,” Apple Bloom replied. “If we don’t speed up, we’ll never catch that other train and they’ll get away!”

The radio went again. “Hello?” Scootaloo asked.

“Button Mash here,” said the voice on the other end. "We’ve sighted the other train, just up ahead. We have 30 miles to the intercept point, but only two sets of diamond junctions with which to get across the line. We will need to proceed wrong line briefly if we are going to get in front.”

“Thanks for the tip Button,” Scootaloo replied. She called forward.

“Button states we need to get across onto the Northbound track!” she shouted.

“That means we’ll be running wrong line!” Sweetie Belle called back.

“It’s that, or they get away!” Scootaloo replied. “It’s your call, Apple Bloom!”

Apple Bloom activated the in-cab radio. “Control, this is engine crew of 2999 Lady of Legend, over.”

“2999, what in the world are you doing out on the mainline?” the dispatcher radioed back. "You are not scheduled to depart for another hour!”

“We’re chasin’ down a train intent on recoverin’ mailbags with stolen diamonds,” Apple Bloom replied. “We need ya ta switch us onto the Northbound track in order ta pass the other train and get in front of it.”

There was a pause. “Apple Bloom, I wouldn't advise that.”

Apple Bloom paused herself, before reactivating the radio. "Throw the switch, over.”

“Roger, throwing switch. Good luck, and godspeed.”

The engine and the train suddenly lurched to the left, as the train switched lines at speed. Running over the junctions at several times the intended speeds of operation, the crew inside the TPO coach were thrown about and landed on the floor.

“Ow!” Pip exclaimed. “What in the world is going on?”

“We’ve just switched lines,” Button explained.

“Ah man!” Rumble groaned. “This now means all of the equipment is on the wrong side! Come on, we need to get it set up in the next carriage, just the other way around!”

Completely unaware of the commotion behind them, Apple Bloom kept the regulator open as they began to draw past the other train. The crew of that engine looked in bewilderment as the Saint came level with them.

“Oh no you don’t!” the driver shouted, and increased engine power. The diesel shot forward, so Apple Bloom simply wound the cutoff back further, and the Saint continued to catch up, eventually drawing level with the other train.

Then trouble came.

“APPLE BLOOM!” Sweetie Belle shrieked. “INCOMING TRAIN! INCOMING TRAIN!”

Apple Bloom looked out of the cab, and saw, to her horror, that a passenger train was inbound on their line. “We need ta get over that switch, fast!” she cried, and adjusted the cutoff again. Glancing behind her, she saw a sight that horrified her.

The arm from the second carriage swung out, and the net deployed-smashing into the train opposite and wrecking them.

“That’s torn it!” Rumble shouted down the radio. "The collection net and drop arm are damaged, and we can’t collect from the first car, as it’s on the wrong side!”

“We’re switching lines again, you fool!” Scootaloo scolded back over the radio. “Get back to the front car and get it set up again!”

“Oops.” the radio cut out.

Sweetie Belle looked out at her end, to see the train in front was perilously close. “WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?” she shouted. “GET US ACROSS!”

“Unless this guy is backin’ down, that’s a no-can-do!” Apple Bloom replied. Then suddenly, the SD40 on their right started to slow down, the engine belching smoke and fire.

“What’s going on?” Scootaloo called.

Apple Bloom smirked. “Looks like that diesel just had a mechanical,” she said, as they hit the junction and rolled over it.

But the diesel hadn’t stopped, and collided with the rear TPO coach as it crossed over the junction, causing it to fly off the rails and demolish the fence.

“That ain’t good!” Apple Bloom called.

“What’s happened?” Scootaloo called.

“Rear coach has come off the line, but it’s still coupled! It’s deadweight!”

Just then the coupling snapped, and the carriage came flying off the rails, derailing the SD40 as it did so.

Apple Bloom shrugged. “Well, that was conveniant.”

The arm on the first coach swung out once again, and the net deployed. The crew operating the ground platform attempted to pull the arm back in, but it was all for naught. The bag slammed into the net and fell into the carriage, just as a bag was dropped off.

“Woohoo!” Scootaloo called. “We did it!”

“I can confirm, over,” Pip radioed. "We have successfully recovered the diamonds.”

Apple Bloom wiped her forehead. “Why do we always end up savin’ the day?” she asked.

“I would be nice to have a quiet few days for once,” Sweetie Belle admitted, as their train came to a smooth stop at Canterlot station.

Meanwhile, the train robbers climbed out of the wrecked engine, coughing and spluttering. And just then appeared Chrysalis and the police.

“Wisbey, Goody,” she said. “You are under arrest.”

Author's Note:

Well, that was fun to write.

Just one more chapter to go!

Comments

[Booster Spice]

So difficult trying to get a hour plus movie into a 20 minute episode without missing out too many good bits, but thats a heck of a chase in just 5 minutes.

[The Blue EM2]

9533196
Thanks! Glad you liked it.