Old Iron

by Fujimi200SX

4: Furness

I puffed into the High Harrington Steelworks with a slightly annoyed look on my face, Furness Red paint glistening in the sunlight. I passed a long line of trucks before stopping at the end, looking at the non-faceless truck parked next to me.

"Well well well, look who it is," the truck sneered. "Mister 'Stay out of my way'."

"I'm sorry? Do I know you?" I asked.

"I'm-"

"Oh wait, I just realized, I don't care," I snapped. "I was told to pick up a train."

"It's over there," the truck replied, referring to a long line of flatbeds with heavy steel on them.

"That's it?" I asked, looking up and down the train. "Blimey. It's a big one," I said worriedly.

"What's the matter? Can't handle it?" the truck sneered.

"Of course I can! Just you watch," I retorted. "Where can I find a turntable?"

"Around the bend. But listen, I'm told you've never pulled a goods train before. So let me give you some pointers."

"Pointers? From you? I think not. You're just a truck. You're the ones who get pulled by engines. NOT the other way around."

"Alright, fine! But if something happens, don't come cryin' to me!"

"Nothing is going to happen," I snapped, puffing away towards the turntable.

It should go without saying, something would happen. As indicated, I had never pulled a goods train prior to this occasion. It was very heavy, and I struggled to make a start. But soon I was rolling along and approaching High Harrington Station.

Unfortunately, my ignorance regarding proper goods train safety meant I was unaware of the requirement to stop at the top of a hill to give the guard time to pin down the brakes. I just kept going. And sure enough, the weight of the train began to press against me.

And I was powerless to stop it.

I began flying down the hill with no chance of stopping. The guard applied the brakes on the brakevan, but that did little to help my quickly-increasing speed. Soon enough, the track leveled out, and I entered a long, sweeping curve, still going at woefully unsafe speeds.

To make matters worse, Samson - a green non-faceless 0-4-0 tank engine who lacked a cab - was approaching me in the opposite direction. As I rocketed around the bend, we caught sight of each other.

"Bust my buffers!" Samson exclaimed as we caught sight of each other.

"Samson, move!" I yelled.

"Don't worry Edward! I'll stop you!"

"I SAID MO-"

That sentence got cut off as Samson came to a stop and I slammed into him. BANG.

"Crikey!" I yelled.

Our brakes squealed as the weight of the train pushed against me. We passed by Albert, a red 2-4-2 tank engine who was stopped in siding with a line of freight. Myself, Samson, and the train went slower and slower, and slower, before we finally came to a stop.

We both took a few seconds to catch our breaths.

"Fizzling Fireboxes," Samson exhaled. "Are you alright Edward?"

"Y-... Yes. Uh, I-I'm fine," I replied. "My word... Thank you Samson. Thank you so very much."

"No worries," Samson replied. "Like I said. At your service."

Word of my little runaway got back to Mr Pettigrew - the manager of the railway - and he rightly gave me a tongue-lashing. Even though I only handled a small number of goods trains after that, I made sure to be extra careful.

Samson and I also became friends. Over time, this friendship eroded my preconceptions of 'Industrial Engines'. Engines that only worked Goods Trains.

And when I next returned to Sodor, I made sure to apologize to Skarloey. A small narrow-gauge 0-4-2 that worked on the aptly named Skarloey Railway that I had accidentally insulted a few days prior.

---

"And he thankfully forgave me."

I smiled as I looked at the wide-eyed ponies.

"Well, thank you for sharing, Edward," Celestia said.

"You are quite welcome, Princess. Now, I must-..."

Thomas smirked. "You were just about to say that you had to get going and do some work, weren't you?"

I sighed. "Yes, I was. Then I remembered why I can't do that," I grumbled.

Luna tilted her head. "You want to work?"

"Of course. I'm a mixed-traffic engine. I'm built to work. All engines are."

"Are you not glad that you can take a break?"

"No. I just spent seventeen months not doing work. Didn't Thomas explain this to you?"

Luna sighed. "But of course. But we cannot just let you out and work. At least not before we figure out how to get you home, if that is possible."

"I understand that. I'm just annoyed is all."

"Hm."

I noticed that Fluttershy had raised her hoof.

"What is it, dear Fluttershy?"

"Um... It's about the uh, Furness Railway," she explained. "Why did you leave it?"

I frowned and looked down at my buffers. That was always a tough topic for me, Albert, and Winston. A 2-6-0 tender engine.

"Edward?" Fluttershy asked.

"Oh... Sorry, it's just... I was forced to leave the railway back in 1907. After it closed."

"...Why did it close?"

"Well..."

"Eep! Er, you don't have to tell it if you don't want to!"

"No, no. It needs to be said."

And this was the story I told.

---

Furness is an area of Cumbria, located in Northwestern England. And between 1844 and 1907, it was serviced by the Furness Railway. All locomotives who worked on the railway were faceless with the exception of myself, Winston, and a shunter named Albert.

At its height, the FR owned or worked on over a hundred and ninety miles of track. This kept us plenty busy.

Albert, Winston, and I mostly worked around the city of Dalton which was relatively close to Barrow. As a passenger engine, I frequently made trips to this station, which was but a stone's throw away from Sodor. In fact, I knew Neil, Clive, and Mathew - three cabless engines part of the Sodor and Mainland Railway - since before coming to the island, as did Winston who often ran goods trains to and from Barrow. Albert mostly acted as the station pilot for Dalton but he also worked on the small branch line of Scarborough that ran west of the yard.

On this branch was the Parker Brothers' Coal Mine, which provided cheap coal for the FR, making it an invaluable business partner. It was on March 13, 1907, when Albert returned to the yard with a delivery of coal. There, he found Winston and myself discussing a recent event in Russia.

"So they've gone ahead and convened a second Duma, have they?" I said.

"And I hear it's off to a roaring start with forty thousand demonstrators having to be dispersed by the army," Winston replied.

I scoffed. "Honestly. What do those people expect? It only just started. Did they think it would introduce sweeping reforms that very day?"

"Perhaps they wanted to show the Tsar that they want to keep this one."

"I highly doubt Nicholas the Second will be intimidated by a mass of unwashed workers."

"If he wasn't intimidated, he wouldn't have set up a Duma in the first place, would he?"

"Touché, Winston."

"What are you two talking about?" Albert finally asked.

I looked at him. "Oh. Hello Albert. We're just discussing the situation in Russia. A new Duma has been established."

"Isn't that the thing people put over their beds?"

"That's a Duvet."

"Oh. Then what's a Duma?"

"It's the Russian equivalent of Parliament," Winston answered. "A people's Parliament. Which is something they didn't have before."

"And this is the second one?" Albert asked. "What happened to the first?"

"The Tsar abolished it because he didn't like its suggestions."

"They demanded too much Winston," I stated.

"The release of political prisoners? The empowerment of trade unions? And land reforms? That's too much, Edward?"

"In the timeframe they demanded, yes! True, lasting change, is a gradual process that cannot be rushed."

"Well, the Tsar better get a move on this one, or mark my words, he'll lose his crown."

"I don't think that's likely," I replied. "Not while he's got the support of the army behind him."

"For now, you mean."

"You might wanna table this discussion for now lads," Albert said with a smile. "Here comes the gov."

Walking up to us was the manager of the Furness Railway, William Frank Pettigrew. We all smiled and gave our undivided attention to him like we had done so many times before.

"Good morning, engines," he greeted.

"Good morning Mr. Pettigrew," we said in unison.

"I have a very important announcement to make," the man stated. "As you know, we have enjoyed a long and fruitful partnership with the neighboring Midland, and Sodor and Mainland railways. Recently, I have been in touch with the executives of these companies about the possibility of a merger. Unifying all three into a single railway."

"What a good idea sir," I said. "That'd do wonders for our passengers and clients."

"My thoughts exactly," Mr. Pettigrew replied. "Not to mention having three companies working in unison would dramatically bolster our revenue."

"I'm guessing it's not a done deal yet, sir," Winston guessed.

"You guessed correct, Winston. I've merely put to them the offer. But, they must be interested, or they wouldn't have agreed to preliminary discussions."

"When are those going to happen, sir?" Albert asked.

"Next Thursday. Representatives from both companies will arrive here. Number 24 will deliver the Midland executives. And Edward? You'll bring in the directors from Sodor."

"Yes sir," I replied.

"This all sounds very promising, sir," Winston noted.

"I agree," Mr. Pettigrew replied. "I'm very optimistic about our future."

---

That very Thursday, I was taking a passenger train carrying the Sodor Directors into Dalton Station. I pulled into the platform, taking extra care to be smooth as I came to a stop. Mr. Pettigrew was there.

"Any problems Edward?" he asked.

"No sir," I replied. "Neil arrived on time, and we departed likewise."

"And you made sure to give them a nice smooth ride?"

"Of course, sir. I always do."

Mr Pettigrew smiled. "Excellent. Where can I find them?"

"Coach number three."

"Right. Then I had best get to work."

"Good luck, sir!"

Of course, I didn't think he really needed luck.

After navigating through the throng of passengers departing from my train, Mr Pettigrew met up with the Sodor and Mainland executives, who complimented him and myself on a very smooth ride. He then took the pair to meet the Midland executives who had arrived earlier that day.

After pleasentries were exchanged and a delightful morning tea was enjoyed, Mr Pettigrew began showing the envoy around the yard. He dazzled them with a lot of facts and figures, many of which I'm sure they'd heard before.

But he also demonstrated the efficiency of the FR's engines, and tantalized them with the prospect of sharing in our locally mined coal. This was surely a major point in favor of merging, as every rail company back then wanted their own cheap source of fuel.

Things were going extremely well for our director. And it looked as if the visitors were primed to agree to the merger right then and there.

That was when it happened.

As our director and the visitors were talking, they heard a loud wooden crash nearby in one of the warehouses. One that had two tracks leading through it.

"What was that?" one of the visitors asked.

"I'm not sure," Mr Pettigrew replied. "E-Excuse me gentlemen."

Our director ran over to the shed as fast as he could, entering it in short order.

"Oh no," he said, seeing what had happened.

There were five men. Four of them workers, another in a black outfit who was a supervisor. A heavy crate had fallen onto the rails and one of the workers, severely injuring the man. The men were arguing.

"You daft gits!" the supervisor yelled. "Can't handle a simple job!"

"Don't blame us!" a worker replied with an equally loud tone. "We warned you!"

"What in blazes is going on?!" Mr Pettigrew yelled.

"Mr Pettigrew," the supervisor began. "These stupid twits tried to move a crate that was too heavy, and lost control of it! I told them to get a trolley, but-"

"Don't lie!" the same worked interrupted. "You told us to carry it by hand! 'Put your backs into it, you lazy prats' you said."

"You little-"

"ALRIGHT SHUT IT!" our director yelled. "Who's to blame isn't important right now! This man needs a hospital immediately!"

I'm pleased to say the injured workman would make a full recovery. But, I'm sorry to say that the fallout from the incident was very severe.

An investigation was carried out and many workers were questioned. And practically all of them blamed the incident on harsh working conditions. This of course meant the unions got involved. A strike was quickly arranged and the FR's manpower was halved overnight. Desite his best efforts, Mr Pettigrew struggled to reach an agreement with the unions. And unfortunately, any agreement he had hoped to make with the visiting executives went up in smoke.

Even if the executives had stuck around, there was no chance they would have agreed to the merger, given what would happen next.

---

Albert, Winston and I stared at Dalton Yard. It was a complete mess. Cars were strewn about everywhere, and one of my coaches was stuck in the middle of it all.

"Bust my buffers!" I exclaimed. "Albert!? What have you done to the yard?!"

"Me!? Why do you assume this is my fault?!" he asked.

"Because you're the shunter! You're supposed to keep things in order!" I replied. "Uh-, Uh-, Wha-, How in fizzling fireboxes did you manage to put one of my coaches in between two trucks?!"

"I. didn't do that!"

"Well, you did give me the wrong vans for delivery to Barrow," Winston said. "I took them all the way there, only to bring them all the way back."

"Hey! Those were the vans the yardmaster told me to shunt!" Albert retorted.

"The acting yardmaster, you mean."

"Exactly! In case you haven't noticed, we don't have the usual staff! So things are going to get stuffed about a bit."

"You call this a bit?"

"I call it as not being my fault the lads have gone on strike!"

I scoffed. "You still think trade unions are a good idea, Winston?"

"What are you jumping on me for, Edward?" Winston asked. "I'm on your side!"

"Oh! So we're taking sides are we?" Albert asked. "Fine! I'll shunt this lot!"

Albert angrily chuffed away and into a siding. He biffed into one of the trucks, then another truck without stopping.

"See? I'm doing it!" he yelled. "Happy, Edward? I'll get this yard sorted! Just you wait!"

"Hmph. That'll be the day," I said.

Later, Albert was shunting two flatbeds into one of the platforms. The acting yardmaster was there.

"Albert? What are you doing?" the yardmaster asked in a harsh tone.

"What do you mean?" Albert asked. "I'm bringing in these trucks so they can be loaded."

"I said take them to track two!"

"No! You said track one!"

"I said track two! Now get them over there!"

Albert groaned as he reversed out of the platform.

Nearby, next to one of the sheds, two workers stared at a large and heavy crate that was a third off of the crate beneath.

"Should we straighten up that top crate?" one the workman asked.

"Probably," the other replied. "But we'll need two others to help move it. And we're running behind as it is."

"What if the foreman finds out?"

"He'll probably say 'Good job for not wasting time'. Come on, it'll be alright."

The two men walked away to go get two more to help with the crate. Unknown to them, the top crate had begun to shift. Nearby, Albert was shunting the two flatbeds at a slightly speedy pace, oblivious to the approaching danger.

The crate shifted more and more before finally, it fell off and onto the tracks, smashing itself to pieces. Albert was quick to notice and slammed on his brakes, but his excessive speed meant the flatbeds ran over the wood, derailing right into the legs of a large crane.

"Bust my buffers!" Albert exclaimed before letting out an annoyed groan. "This would be how this day ends."

Suddenly, the crane began to creak.

"What was that?" Albert asked.

"The legs on the crane must have been damaged," a workman said. "Look! It's cracking! And if it falls back onto that fuel tank..."

Everyone froze as they looked at the massive fuel tank the crane was beginning to lean towards.

"LEG IT!"

Both man and machine ran and reversed as far away from the crane as they could. The crane creaked and groaned before finally giving way with a loud snap. It was small wonder what happened next.

The sound of metal colliding with metal could be heard, followed by the horrifically loud explosion caused by the fuel tank. The immediate sheds and rolling stock were leveled, and most of the wood in the area began to burn.

I sometimes wonder if the Lucky Lamp had ever been on the Furness Railway. Because it could only be luck that the fire caused by the exploding fuel tank was contained and extinguished by a sudden downpour. Albert and the workmen were able to get clear, so thankfully, no one was hurt. However, the damage was done.

A swift and savage investigation by the railway board followed. In their judgement, negligence was the cause of the accident, and we were slapped with a substantial fine that crippled our finances. Despite our best efforts to carry on, by October of that year, the Furness Railway had to close.

Albert felt incredibly guilty, and blamed himself for the closure. Winston and I disagreed. We blamed ourselves for pushing him so hard. Mr. Pettigrew, however, blamed no one.

That man was never capable of spite, as evident by the fact he had already found homes for the three of us.

Albert went to work for the London, Brighton, and Southcoast Railway, which later became part of the Southern Railway. Winston was sold to the Great Eastern Railway, which would be absorbed into the London North Eastern Railway or 'LNER', and I would find myself on Sodor.

---

"The rest, as they say, is history."

"What happened to Mr Pettigrew?" Luna asked.

"He retired," I replied. "And lived to the ripe old age of 93. Enjoying those final years with his grandchildren."

"Well. Thank you for sharing, Edward."

"Indeed," Celestia said. "Amazing job. Very well told. But what's this Lucky Lamp you mentioned?"

"That's an interesting subject, Celestia," I replied. "But It's also a story... for another day."

Thomas snorted. "Oh my god Edward I hate you... I hate it when you say that."

I grinned. "Why do you think I say it so often?"

"Wait, what?!"

Everypony, including Thomas, laughed.

Throughout the next few hours, I told everyone stories, mostly ones about mine or the other engine's experiences on Sodor, particularly during the early years of what is known as The Big Four. This was the name given to the four major railways of Britain that existed between the years 1923 and 1947. These included the Great Western Railway, The London, Midland, and Scottish Railway, The Southern Railway, and finally, The London and NorthEastern Railway.

I was quite surprised that four princesses were able to be there for so long. Twilight and Cadance I could understand since the former didn't actually rule anything while the latter had a husband named Shining Armor that could run the Crystal Empire himself. It was Celestia and Luna I was most surprised about as they ran Equestria as a whole. I didn't ask them about it as I felt it would interrupt the conversation, but I wanted to.

After a story involving James, the Express, and some bootlaces, I decided to ask about Equestria's rail infrastructure.

Long story short, it was rubbish.

In all of Equestria and the Crystal Empire, only two trains were running, with a third having recently been taken out of service. These two were the Friendship Express and the Crystal Zephyr. Both of which were passenger trains. The only freight they carried were either dozens of bags or just putting the freight in one of the coaches.

In fact, the only redeeming quality about the railways was the rails, tunnels, and bridges that had recently been upgraded by Luna. Specifically, the bridges, as those were built for the lightweight trains. Not trains as heavy as City of Truro. Which considering Britain has the most restrictive loading gauge on Earth, the trains here must have been horrifically light.

I immediately told them that this was no way to run a railway. They said that Equestria wasn't affected by it, to which I said that they didn't know that. The reason many communities supposedly didn't have problems was that they were simply used to it. If the rail industry - particularly the locomotives, rolling stock, and stations - were upgraded, many towns and industries would flourish.

Before this conversation could go on longer, I noticed that Fluttershy had once again raised her hoof.

"Hold that thought. What is it, Fluttershy?" I asked.

"Um, what if somepony breaks the rules?" she asked back.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"I mean... well, what if somepony were to scrap an engine... without them being dead? Has anyone done that?"

Everyone looked at Fluttershy. That was certainly an interesting topic. One that made my face turn grim.

"Oh yes," I replied with a much more condescending tone. "People can, and have done that. I've heard stories of engines being tortured for their insubordination. Forcefully scrapped. Ripped away from the world. Murdered."

Everypony looked at me, surprised at my change of tone.

"Shall I continue?" I asked.

"I-If you want to..." Fluttershy replied.

"Well I won't go into detail, but a friend of mine had nearly been tortured back on the Barnhill Railway."

"The Barnhill Railway?" Luna asked.

"An industrial narrow-gauge railway in a place called Scotland. It was hideously corrupt and treated its workers like slaves. They also bribed the police to turn a blind eye to this abuse and the many other crimes they were guilty of. Like neglecting critical track maintenance which caused a fatal accident. When the investigators from a city called London arrived, they were done for. The railway was closed, the executives imprisoned, and the police were disbanded."

"That's horrible!" Rarity exclaimed.

"Duncan was the friend I mentioned. He wasn't ever... 'tortured', but he had been threatened numerous times. That's why he behaved like such a prat when he began working on the Skarloey Railway located on Sodor. It took a few decades before he realized his mistake and became one of the most pleasant chaps one could talk to."

"Well I'm glad he turned his attitude around," Celestia said.

"Likewise. Now. Does anyone else want to hear what people have done to torture engines?"

"What if you explode?" a voice asked.

Everypony looked at the blue unicorn next to Starlight. Trixie.

"Trixie? What kind of a question is that?" Starlight asked.

"A valid one," Trixie replied.

"Well, since I haven't exploded, I can't say for sure," I said. "But the survivors of boiler explosions have told me that it feels like something inside them melts, and then half their body is torn apart. The closest thing to a boiler explosion I experienced was a boiler crack. Several years ago, I ran head-on into an excursion train, and the water around my firebox surged forward, causing my boiler to fatigue and rupture."

Everypony gasped.

"W-What was it like?" Cadance asked.

"It hurt like hell, let me tell you. Having metal fatigue occur in such a sort amount of time brought me endless searing pain. I ended up passing out, in fact, and was laid up at the works for an extended time because no fresh boiler units were available. It didn't help that British Railways were facing severe financial problems at this time."

"What do you mean by an extended time?" Luna asked.

"The engine I ran into was a visiting 4-6-0 express engine named Randolph. He came down with severe, and I mean severe metal fatigue throughout his whole body. It was a rare kind that is harder to detect, hence why it got so bad. His brother, Reginald, another express engine, advocated for his complete overhaul. This made the Fire and Rescue Service declare it as an emergency, forcing British Railways to release funds, but this in turn delayed my repairs."

"Seeing as you are still around, I take it the repairs went well?"

"Mine did."

Everypony froze.

"What do you mean... yours did?" Celestia asked.

"Despite the workmen's efforts, despite said workmen being the best in the industry, Randolph's repairs were an effort in futility... He didn't make it."

"How sad..."

"Yes, it was. Anyway, anything else? Are you going to ask me what it feels like to be tortured?"

"What's the heaviest train ya pulled?" Applejack asked.

I grinned. "Nearly 540 tons with 17 fully loaded coaches back in 1963. Though I did have to double head it with Henry. By myself? I'm not sure. I've delivered many stone trains by myself, so perhaps 300 tons. Three-fifty may have been one of the munition trains I pulled."

"Impressive!" Celestia exclaimed.

I chuckled. "I'm sure I could do more. And I just might. Even if I had the ability to go home right this second, I'd rather stay here and help with your railways. They are complete and utter rubbish from what you have told me."

"I concur. The railways need a severe upgrade," Luna stated.

"Woah, hold on," Rainbow Dash began. "Don't you two want to go home or something? To your 'world' or whatever?"

"I don't know," Thomas said. "It's rather exciting being here if you ask me. I mean, I never got to leave Sodor, and look!" He opened his leathery wings. "I've got wings! I can fly! What's not to love about that?"

I grimaced. "True. It won't hurt to stay for a few days. But what about your friends and family back home? Don't you want to see them?"

"..."

I patiently waited, as did everypony else.

"Well... You have a point," he finally said. "But as you said, it won't hurt to stay for a few days."

"I'll need more than a few days to work on an inter-universal spell," Twilight stated. "It's more like three MONTHS. Maybe even years! And I don't even know if It'll be safe, or if I can make one powerful enough to transport an entire steam locomotive!"

Myself and Thomas looked at Twilight, then at each other, then Thomas looked back at Twilight. I scanned the small crowd.

"Do you think you all could give me and Thomas a few minutes?"

Author's Note:

No excuse. I have ZERO excuse for how long it took to get this out. Also, I wrote half of this when I was half asleep, so please, feel free to let me know of any mistakes and typos I made.

_{These parts are just going to keep getting longer and longer, aren't they?}

Comments

[Icantthinkofanythinglol]

Glad to see this is back. It's rare, if it even exists, to see a Thomas in Equestria story that actually has the character stay as an engine. It's refreshing.

[Tiber Septim II]

Will Benson from the Railway Operating Division be appearing in Equestria?

[Fujimi200SX]

11213226
I KNOW RIGHT? Angers me to no end. And yeah, you are more than likely correct on how there are no other TTTE x MLP stories that have the engine staying as an engine. It sucks.

[Fujimi200SX]

11213288
That officious prat? I've toyed with the idea of him coming to Equestria. Perhaps I'll create a side-story involving him as a "What if" scenario if I feel up to it.

[Icantthinkofanythinglol]

11213761
The same also applies to one of the ponies going to Sodor and becoming engines. That annoys me even more than engines not staying engines. The few I have seen of the former aren't very good.

[Fujimi200SX]

11213820
I agree. Those are complete and utter rubbish.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

Now, this is certainly a story that is worth reading. I even like how you have Edward point out how the Railways of Equestria are lacking in the true industry.

[Sentinel053]

OH MY GOSH MORE REFERENCES TO STORIES OF SODOR especially the relationships episode dude you are so far the best author of any MLp/ Thomas the tank engine crossover stories

[Icantthinkofanythinglol]

1. Not to rush you, but when is this coming back?

2. What year/season does this take place in? Is it after Season 4, present day (The Sodor Specials and Preview), or after the SCP mini-series?

[Icantthinkofanythinglol]

[Fujimi200SX]

11225755
RIGHT NOW ACTUALLY! I just hit publish and saw your message!

And I already stated the year. 1973. So it is in fact after Season 4.

[The_thomas_fan]

In fact, the only redeeming quality about the railways was the rails, tunnels, and bridges that had recently been upgraded by Luna. Specifically, the bridges, as those were built for the lightweight trains. Not trains as heavy as City of Truro. Which considering Britain has the most restrictive loading gauge on Earth, the trains here must have been horrifically light.

Honest to God I feel like Eddie would have thought "what did you say?!" Right then and there
The only loading gauge that I think is smaller is narrow gauge