Equestria Girls: The Railway Stories

by friggin normie

Trouble for Thomas

Thomas the Tank Engine wouldn't stop being a nuisance. Night after night, he kept the other engines awake.

"I'm tired of shunting trains," he complained. "I want to see the world!"

Gordon grunted. "Didn't you just learn why you shouldn't be allowed out on the mainline a few days ago?"

"A rookie mistake," Thomas argued. "It could happen to any engine."

Their crews took no notice, for Thomas was a little engine with a long tongue.

One night, his and Edward's crews stayed at the sheds later than usual. They felt sorry for Thomas and decided to make him feel better.

Well, and to get him to stop complaining.

"We've got some trucks ta take up to Maron tomorrow," Applejack said. "If y'all take 'em, we can shunt coaches instead."

Twilight, while reluctant, agreed to go along with it. She wouldn't admit it, but she could only take Thomas' complaining for so long.

---

The next morning, Thomas and Edward found themselves in the yards.

"Are these my trucks? Oh, or how about those?"

"Settle down, Thomas. They're over here."

"Listen up, y'all," Applejack said as Thomas was coupled up. "Trucks are silly things. If they catch ya off guard, yer gonna regret it."

"Make sure not to bump them unless they misbehave," Edward added.

Spike gulped. "Are you sure we can't take out the non-sentient trucks?"

"'Fraid not, Sugarcube. There ain't enough to carry all these goods."

"Wonderful."

The guard's whistle blew, and Thomas started with a jerk.

"Oh, oh, oh!" The trucks called. "Wait, Thomas, wait!"

But Thomas didn't listen. "Come along, come along!"

"Alright, don't fuss! Alright, don't fuss!"

As the tank engine puffed away, Apple Bloom gulped.

"Do y'all feel like we just made a mighty big mistake?"

"Eeyup."

---

Thomas began going faster and faster.

"Wheeesh!" He called as he raced past Henry's tunnel. "Hello, Henry!"

The countryside seemed to blur together as Thomas and the trucks rattled along. Thomas was having the time of his life, but the trucks were grumbling about his rough treatment of them.

"Pay him out," one whispered. "Let's do it on the hill."

Twilight heard the trucks whispering among themselves, but was unable to hear what they were saying.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," she muttered.

"Full steam ahead!" Thomas laughed as he charged up Gordon's Hill.

"Now!" Screamed one of the trucks. "Hold back, hold back!"

Spike groaned. "Bother those silly trucks! We might need a banker if they keep this up."

"No we won't!" Cried Thomas. "We'll make it over this hill or burst!"

The train slowed, but Thomas was determined to make it to the other side.

"Don't hold back!" Twilight yelled at the trucks. "We have a schedule to keep!"

As they reached the top of the hill, the trucks grinned. "If you want to stay on schedule, we can help with that!"

And before they could stop to pin down the brakes, the trucks surged forward!

"On, on, on! Faster, faster!"

Poor Thomas tried his hardest to stop, but the trucks were far too heavy for him to stop on his own.

"Stop pushing us!" Spike cried.

"Go on, go on!" The trucks giggled in their silly way.

Twilight screamed as she felt the train sway back and forth.

"There's the station!" She cried as Maron came into view.

The train lurched as it was diverted into a siding. Thomas shut his eyes and prepared for the worst.

"I have to stop, I have to stop!"

He slowed down little by little until finally, he came to a stop just in front of the buffers.

"Goodness," said Thomas shakily. "That didn't go as planned."

"That's a bit of an understatement," Twilight said as she unsteadily hopped out of the cab. "I think my life flashed before my eyes."

Spike leaned against Thomas and sighed. "Look on the bright side. Nobody was hurt and Celestia won't ever find out about this."

"I wouldn't say that."

The trio jumped when they saw Celestia.

"Mind telling me what you three are doing so far from the station?"

"W-we brought E-edward's trucks," Thomas stammered.

"But why did you come in so fast?"

"We didn't mean to, ma'am. We were pushed!"

The controller sighed. "I understand that you want to do the same work as the other engines, but you're too inexperienced to pull trains or run on the mainline. Maybe a few weeks of shunting trucks here in the yard will teach you almost as much as Edward. Then you'll be a really useful engine."

Thomas could only agree.