Equestria Girls: The Railway Stories

by friggin normie

Tenders and Turntables

The big stations on each end of the railway have a turntable. They had been installed because it was dangerous for tender engines to run backwards at high speeds. Tank engines like Thomas don't need turntables, as they could backwards just as well as forwards. But to hear Gordon talking one morning, you'd think he had been given a tender just to show how important he was.

"You don't understand, little Thomas. We tender engines have a position to keep up. It doesn't matter where we go, but we are important. And for Celestia to make us do menial work like shunting or to run onto those dirty sidings, it's....it's, well, it's not the proper thing!"

Thomas wasn't paying much attention to Gordon. He had been busy watching Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash mimic Gordon during his tirade, for they had heard it all before. He chuckled and went off with Annie and Clarabel.

"It's disgraceful," Gordon hissed as he backed down onto the turntable. The turntable had been built in a windy area not far from the sea. And if Gordon wasn't on it just right, he would upset the balance and make it difficult to turn.

The big engine was in a particularly bad mood today and the wind blew hard against him. Rainbow Dash tried to get him to stop in the right place, but Gordon just wouldn't try.

"Try now, Scootaloo!"

Scootaloo tried to turn the crank that allowed the turn table to rotate, but it just wouldn't budge.

"Still nothing!"

Rainbow glared at her engine. "Listen up, Gordon! You can be in a bad mood for the rest of your life for all I care, but could you at least try and get on the right place?"

"I am trying," Gordon said dismissively. "It's the wind's fault."

"Well, it wasn't a problem for Henry and Fluttershy the other day, was it?"

"Henry's only a small engine. Of course he wouldn't have troubles with the wind."

"He's not much smaller than you, you...you-"

"Big blue whale?" Scootaloo offered. She was just as frustrated with Gordon as Rainbow was.

"Yes! That!"

Gordon flushed red with anger. "Now listen here-"

But before Gordon could launch into a tirade, Scootaloo cut him off.

"We'll be late if we don't get a move on. What do we do, Rainbow?"

"Ugh, I guess Gordon'll just have to pull the next train backwards."

"What?!"

---

Thomas waited patiently at the station for Gordon. The big engine was running a little bit behind, but Thomas knew there was nothing he could do about it.

"Where's Gordon at?" Spike asked. "He's usually not late."

Twilight checked her watch for umpteenth and stared down the line anxiously.

"Please hurry, please hurry, please hur- What on Earth?!"

Thomas chuckled as Gordon and his train - being pulled tender first, mind you - puffed slowly into the station.

"Oh, I didn't know we had a new tank engine," laughed Spike. "Oh wait, it's only Gordon back to front."

Gordon watched Thomas expectantly. The tank engine hadn't said anything but Gordon knew he'd start teasing any second now.

"So Gordon," he finally said. "Playing tank engine are you? That's a sensible engine."

"The turntable stuck," Gordon muttered. "I couldn't get turned around."

"Which wouldn't have happened if you were a tank engine! Take my advice. Scrap your tender and have a nice bunker instead!"

"They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery," Twilight told Thomas. "Gordon must really admire you if he's doing something like this."

Even James laughed as he raced by.

"Be careful," called Gordon, "or you might stick too!"

"No fear!" The red engine called back. "I'm not as fat as you!"

When he reached the sheds, James gently backed down onto the turntable.

"I musn't stick, I musn't stick."

But the high winds combined with James' small size quickly led to trouble. The turntable slowly began turning, but soon picked up more and more speed until James spinning like a top! Luckily, Rarity and Sweetie Belle had gotten out of the cab beforehand, but now they couldn't get it to stop.

Gordon puffed into the yard and watched with amusement.

"Help me, please!" James called to whoever could hear him. "Get me off this crazy thing!"

After a few minutes, the winds died down and James - whose face was now greener than Henry's paint - backed quietly into the sheds.

"Well, well," remarked Gordon. "Playing roundabouts, little James?"

---

That evening, the three big engines held an indignation meeting.

"It's not right!" puffed Gordon. "Henry gets sprayed by an elephant-"

"Gordon gets insulted by his crew and has to pull his trains backwards-" put in James.

"James gets spun round like a top-" cried Henry.

"And worst of all, we're all forced to shunt like common tank engines!" the three finished together.

Gordon's scowl deepened. "If they think we'll stand for this, then they've got another thing coming!"

Edward, who had been quietly listening to the big engines sighed. He had a feeling the next few days would be eventful, and indeed they would be.

The three big engines were going on strike.

Comments

[The Blue EM2]

Interestingly, there were 4-6-2 tank engines.