Twilight & Friends - The Complete Season 1

by ThomasZoey3000

Too Big For His Wheels

Twilight & Friends

A Thomas & Friends/My Little Pony: Equestria Girls Crossover Series

Written by: ThomasZoey3000

Episode 16: Too Big For His Wheels

Based on "Pouty James" and "The Fastest Red Engine on Sodor"

While the fun and activities continued around the Small Railway, it was business as usual around Tidmouth Station. People were getting their tickets and getting to their respective platforms, ready to go off to where they needed to go. Rarity was one of them, and today, she was waiting for her train for Ffarquhar Junction to arrive. Stafford the Electric Engine was getting some coaches ready for another engine to take.

"Don't you wish you could travel along the line Stafford?" asked the coach in front of him.

"Not really, I'm content with working around the Big Station. Shunting trucks and coaches is more than enough adventure for me. Besides," he added, "I can't go too far on my battery power."

"Why not just get a bigger and more powerful battery?"

"It's a nice thought, but I don't..." A thought then came to him, "why do you ask? You coaches wouldn't want little old me to pull you, now would you?"

"It would be better than James," said the second coach, "he's been a little too rough lately."

"A little?!" the third coach almost shirked, "he's always bumping us, and he's sliding into the stations. It's a wonder we haven't..." PPPEEEEEPPPPP! "Oh no, here he comes now."

Stafford was uncoupled and started moving out of the station, but he didn't get far before he was bumped from behind.

"Get out of my way you stupid electric box," snapped a voice. It was James, "I'm due to take these coaches out today, not you. Now will you get out of here?!"

"Oh I would love to James, but..."

"I don't want to hear excuses, just get out!"

Stafford sighed and reminded James that there were no points between the first coach and the back end of James' tender. Grumbling like anything, James puffed out of the station and Stafford rattled off to collect other coaches.

"Now James, Stafford isn't at fault," said his Driver, "if anything, we were early, so it's..."

"Do you think I have any time to listen to your chatter. NO! I do not! I have to pull the local since old fat mouth was put on goods work, now let's get coupled up and go!"

The Driver sighed and reversed James back into the station, but James, being too hasty for his own good, decided to hurry in and as a result, he bumped the coaches hard. So hard that he bumped them and made them roll into the buffers.

"Jamesy, what was that for?" Rarity cried. She was about to climb on board, as were many of the passengers.

"It wasn't my fault, my Driver didn't apply my brakes fast enough."

Mr Arkwright stared firmly at James, "you know that's not true, it was your speed that caused this mishap. Now behave yourself and stop showing off."

But James just rolled his eyes.

James is a mixed traffic engine, meaning that he can haul both passenger trains, and goods trains. Although he prefers coaches as he thinks trucks are smelly, noisy and a real pain to deal with. Sometimes though, his crew hope he gets put on goods work as in recent years, pulling passenger trains has gone to his smokebox, and it seems, everytime he goes out with coaches, he's rough with them and his passengers.

At one of the stations, the Driver applied the brakes gently, but James wanted to make a grand entrance into the station, so he ignored the brakes and waited till he was closer to the station before allowing them to take effect. This resulted in a hard smack to the coaches, sending luggage, bags and even passengers flying.

"Here's James!" cried James with a cheerful smile on his face.

The Stationmaster, who was standing on the platform, walked over and spoke firmly to James, "what was that for?"

"What? I'm just making an entrance."

"Some entrance James, you bumped your coaches, along with your passengers, and you undershot the platform. Just look."

James did look and saw that he had indeed undershot the platform. He could also hear the grumbles from his passengers, they were all saying it was a terrible railway.

"Don't blame the railway, or the crew," he heard Rarity say, "It's James, he's being silly today."

"Silly?!" exclaimed James, "I'm making sure these passengers know they are pulled by a grand locomotive."

The Stationmaster pinched the spot between his eyes, "just pull forward James, and stop showing off."

James did pull forward, allowing many of the passengers to get off and complain. Rarity stormed off to the cab to speak with her father, "can't you control James? He made me go flying forward into the other seat."

Mr Arkwright walked out and over to his daughter, "are you okay sweetheart?"

"I'm fine, didn't bang my head or anything like that, but it could've been worse."

Mr Arkwright looked firmly to James, "now will you behave yourself James? You nearly hurt my daughter, and you wouldn't want that, now would you?"

"I suppose not."

Rarity raised an eyebrow, "you suppose? You could've hurt me and the other passengers. Don't you even care?"

James was quiet for a moment, then he shouted, "will everyone please hurry up, we need to make a dash out of here to make sure we're better than old windbag Gordon."

Rarity was livid, "THAT'S IT!" she shouted, "I'm going to ride on a bus to Ffarquhar Junction, I will not ride with you until you learn some common sense!" And with that, Rarity stormed off to the bus station.

James just rolled his eyes and muttered; "drama queen."

For the rest of the day, James continued on to the end of the line and everytime he stopped at a station, he would slam on his brakes. Sometimes he overshot the platform, other times he undershot it, and while sometimes he stopped right at the platform, he wasn't gentle at all.

At Maron Station, Gordon saw him rushing in and being rough with his train.

"I would never be that rough with them," he sighed, "oh why did I have to be rude to Thomas? Then I could pulling those passengers."

But his chance would soon come as a booming voice could be heard, "JAMES! I have been getting nothing but complaints about your service." The voice turned out to be from the Fat Controller, "all the passengers you've taken today have phoned me and said you've been bumping, sliding and being rude to them all."

"They are all being drama queens Sir, they just need to get used to a new loco taking them, instead of silly old Gordon."

The Fat Controller looked to James with a shocked look, "honestly James, we're here to provide a smooth and reliable service to the people of this island, but if we can't do that, what's the purpose of us being here?"

"Passengers are just being silly today," snorted James.

That was the last straw for the Fat Controller, "very well James, if you really do feel that way, then I'm going to make some changes. I'm taking away your passenger runs!"

"WHAT!?!" James shirked.

The Fat Controller looked to Gordon, "can you take the passengers for the rest of the day?"

"I'd be delighted Sir, but what about my goods?"

"Oh James can take them."

"I...WHAT!?! You can't do that!"

The Fat Controller glared at James, which silenced the red engine at once.

The switchover took more than ten minutes, and when Gordon backed onto the coaches, the passengers didn't complain once. They even cheered as the guard's whistle blew and Gordon steamed away with the coaches, smooth as silk. James looked on with a cross look on his face.

I'm sorry to say that the switch did not change anything with James. If anything, it made him so cross that he refused to go fast and keep to time. He also grumbled like anything to anyone or any engine nearby.

"It's not fair I tell you, that Fat Controller must have some screws loose in his head if he would take my coaches away!"

This went on all day until he returned back to the sheds that evening. Gordon was talking with the other engines, "I tell you, even if that was my only day working with coaches, it felt great to take those passengers. I missed them so much."

"Well if James keeps acting the way he is, you might be pulling coaches for a long time," said cheeky Charlie.

James huffed and went to sleep at once.

By the next morning, his attitude hadn't changed a bit. He was rude to his crew, he was rude to the other engines, and when the Fat Controller came to give him his job, he was rude to him too. This resulted in the red engine being shut up in the sheds for the entire day. His duties ended being taken over by Neville the Q1 and Rosie the American Tank Engine. They handled the work with no complaints and no trouble. The Fat Controller was impressed, especially with Rosie.

At lunchtime, he went over to the yards to speak with her.

"You have been doing such fine work lately," he said to her, "so much so that I'd like to give you a reward as a thank you. How would you feel about a new coat of paint?"

Rosie beamed, "oh I would love that Sir, thank you."

"Excellent then, you can go to the Steamworks tonight, and you'll be given a new coat, and..." he paused for dramatic effect, "I think you will be impressed with your new colors."

Rosie was curious, but before she could ask, the Fat Controller had left to visit the sheds.

James was still at the sheds. At first, he did nothing but complain to himself, but sitting in the sheds doing nothing made him feel bored and longed to be out again. He looked out across the yards and saw the Fat Controller coming over towards him. He was still annoyed about the day before, but he put on the biggest fake smile he could give and spoke with a calm voice, "I'm sorry for the way I acted Sir, I would love to work today."

The Fat Controller stopped, "I don't know James, the passengers don't really trust you. Rarity doesn't trust you, and she's the daughter of your Driver."

"I'll do better this time, I give you my word."

The Fat Controller stared at James for the longest time that James worried he wouldn't let him go. Finally, he spoke, "very well James, but I will not be putting you on passenger duties, you will take trucks and that is final."

James' eye twitched, but he did his best to speak calmly, "no problem Sir."

"Good, I'll get your crew here and have you start." He started to turn to walk away, but stopped and looked back to James, "if I so much as hear of complaining or bumping, then you're going back into the sheds for a long time."

"Yes Sir," James said, trying to hide his annoyance.

Once his fire was lit, he did collect his trucks, allowing Neville to go back to his jobs, but while he did his best not to complain, James did give sulky looks. Needless to say, it got worse at stations when his previous passengers saw him and give him angry glares. Rarity even commented to Sunset Shimmer; "I think Twilight and Applejack should focus their anger towards James instead."

Sunset could only agree with her.

The next afternoon, James was at the big station waiting for a clear line. Henry was in charge of the Local that day, which made James cross.

"I should be the one at the front of that train, if only silly Rarity and those passengers behaved themselves." He then called out rudely, "mind how you go Henry, make sure not to give the passengers a bad idea."

"Like you do?" Henry asked with a sly grin.

James was about to retort when both engines heard a whistle. It was Thomas, coming in with Annie and Clarabel, "you two won't believe what I saw on the way here."

"Knowing you Thomas, it was another engine you can play tricks on," snickered James rudely.

"Stow it James," snapped Henry. "Now Thomas, you were saying?"

"Well what I saw was Rosie, and she's in a brand new livery, and I have to say, the livery looks really good on her."

"No livery is as good as mine, mine is the best," James thought to himself.

As the passengers changed from one train to another, they were all talking about Rosie. Henry listened carefully, and overheard Rainbow Dash talking with a girl named Lyra Heartstrings.

"I have to admit, the cheery red livery looks better than what she had on originally."

"Perhaps, but why has got the Number 37 on the sides of her coal bunker?" Lyra asked.

Rainbow shrugged her shoulders and climbed onto Henry's train. Henry chuckled, "well James, it looks like you got some competition now. Rosie's been painted red."

"Red?! As in me Red? James the Splendid Red? You're pulling my wheels right?!" he shirked.

Before Henry could answer, he heard the guard's whistle blow and he had to leave. He chuckled as he did, while Thomas said nothing at all as new passengers boarded his train.

James departed ten minutes later with the trucks teasing him, "Not so splendid, not so grand, now he's just blend," they chuckled.

"Shut up!" snapped James, "I am not blend, I'm one of the, if not the finest locomotive on the North Western Railway. Who cares if Rosie is red, I was the first and that makes me grander than her."

"Technically, Skarloey was the first to be red, not you," corrected his fireman. James said nothing back.

Soon, they came to a signal and James had to slow down. As he did so, he found that he wasn't slowing down that well. It took alot of strength to slow down before the signal.

"What's the matter with the brakes?" asked the fireman.

"They're worn out by the feel of them, must be from all that sliding James has been doing lately."

"Sliding on your brakes, that's not good," said a voice from close by.

James looked and gasped to see that the voice belonged to Rosie, and much like what was said earlier, she was in a new livery. She was painted in a dark cheery red with white stripes. She also had the letters NWR on her side tanks, as well as her number 37.

"I can't believe it, you really are red," James sulked.

"Yes, I've been given this new livery as a thank you for all my hard work. I quite like it, don't you James?"

"Honestly, I think you're being a copycat again," James scoffed. "First you try to act like Thomas, now you're trying to be like me."

Rosie gasped, "no I'm not!"

"That's good," snickered the trucks from behind James, "cause if she did, we'd have two engines with squeaky brakes. Though really, she has the better paintjob."

All the other trucks had to agree, and they didn't normally say that about an engine's paintjob.

"Shut it back there," snapped James. He cleared his throat and tried to compose himself again, "never mind them, where are you off to now Rosie?"

"I'm heading off to Crovan's Gate with these trucks," she answered. "They're all full of..."

"Well I'm heading to Crovan's Gate too, maybe we should have a little competition on the way. Maybe see which one of us is the better red engine on Sodor?"

"I don't think..." but the signals dropped and James started off with a rude jerk.

"Watch it James, you're going to give me whip-lash," snapped his fireman.

Rosie started off too, but was careful not to bump her trucks. Soon though, she caught up with James. James saw this and tried harder to go faster and faster, going above the speed limit.

"James slow down!" cried his Driver, but James refused to listen.

Then he heard a shout, "red signal James, you need to stop!" cried Rosie.

James groaned as his Driver applied his brakes, but this time, James found he had very little braking power and slid past the red signal. Worst still, he found why he had a red signal, as BoCo was pulling out of a siding with more trucks. James tried harder and harder to stop, but he was getting closer and closer to BoCo's train. Finally he stopped with a foot to spare.

"Whew, that was close," sighed Mr Arkwright.

Rosie soon pulled up and stopped next to James, allowing a man to climb out of her cab. It was the signalman, who had waved Rosie down after seeing James speed past, and climbed into her cab to speak with James' crew, "what happened back there, didn't you see the red signal?"

"We did Sir, but we were having trouble stopping. I think the brake-shoes are wearing out."

"I see, then you better let Rosie take your trucks and you get yourselves over to the Steamworks to be checked out."

"I'm fine," grumbled James, "it was these silly trucks that's all, they pushed me."

"We did no such thing," they retorted, "it was all you Rusty Red."

James gritted his teeth over the mention of that old nickname Diesel gave him. Rosie stared firmly at him, "look James, worn out brakes are dangerous things to deal with. If you don't get them checked out, you could end up a runaway like Percy did, only worse. Just go get checked over like the signalman said and I'll handle your trucks."

James was going to retort some more, but soon gave in and agreed to go. Rosie shunted his trucks away from him, then puffed off with the two trains. Once she was gone, James started off slowly down the line. He grumbled all the way.

"I almost won the race, I would've proven I was the best red engine on Sodor, but not now. It's not fair," James thought to himself.

At the works, the workers checked him over and discovered that his brake-blocks were indeed worn out, "these will need to replaced James," said Cranky Doodle, the Steamworks manager, "it's lucky you didn't have an accident just getting here. Now wait here, and we'll get you fixed up in no time." Cranky Doodle got up and walked over towards Kevin. With another workman on board, they went to the back.

James sulked as he waited, "This is not going to get me back on the local train. I have to get back and prove to the Fat Controller I should on that train, not old windbag Gordon or joker Henry." It was at that moment that James came up with a really bad idea. He was going to fib his way out of the Steamworks.

He saw his crew talking with another worker. He smirked as he called them over.

"So, what did Cranky Doodle say about your brakes James?" asked Mr Arkwright.

"He said they were fine." The crew looked at him with suspicious looks, "they look worse than they actually are, he just asked me to slow down for now until my next inspection."

The crew looked to each other, "well old Cranky Doodle has never been wrong before, and he knows what he's talking about with engines."

"Indeed." The fireman turned to James, "come on old boy, let's get going."

They relit his fire and once his steam pressure was good, Mr Arkwright opened the regulator and James puffed out, just as Kevin returned. Mr Cranky Doodle was stunned, "hey James, come back! Your brakes need replacing, where are you going?!"

"Oh dear," sighed Kevin, "this is going to result in big trouble for James."

"You don't know the half of it. With the brakes he has now, he won't be skidding, he'll have a crash."

"Uh oh."

Cranky Doodle was correct, James had worn his brakes down so much they were next to useless. At that moment though, he didn't care one bit as he raced back to the big station as a light engine. He charged up Gordon's hill in style, cheering all the while.

"Clever me, clever me."

But his celebration was cut short when Mr Arkwright tried to slow him down. The handle moved, and so did the brake-blocks, but James wasn't slowing down. Instead, he was speeding up.

"You might want to slow down Hondo," said the fireman.

"I'm trying, but the brakes have no effect...oh no!" he cried as he saw James' speed limit go up on the gauge. He tried again and again, but nothing worked. Reaching the bottom of the hill, James swerved too hard and knocked Mr Arkwright out of the cab. Luckily, he landed in some bushes. He rubbed his head, "I knew it was a bad idea to take James out today."

In the cab, the fireman was doing all he could to slow James down, from reducing steam and shutting the regulator, but without the brakes, James still couldn't stop. Realizing the danger he was in, the fireman got out his mobile phone and phoned the Fat Controller, "this is the fireman of NWR No 5 James, we are a runaway Sir. I repeat, we are a runaway on the main line. Clear the tracks! I repeat, clear the tracks!"

Word spread down the line, and all trains were diverted off the main line and into sidings. All signals went to red, and staff warned people to stand clear of the platforms. They were curious, but soon got their answer as James sped through at high speeds.

The fireman watched the gauge going up to 70, then to 80, followed by 90 until the gauge maxed out. However, he could tell James was still getting faster. Nothing was going to stop James.

At Tidmouth Station, Rarity was getting ready to board the next local train, being pulled by Gordon this time.

"Do you promise to apologize to Thomas when you next see him?" she asked the big blue tender engine.

Gordon sighed, "yes Rarity, I will Rarity. I've had time to think things over, and I will apologize to him."

"Good." She pulled her pocket watch out and sighed, "ten minutes till we leave, I think I'll go use the little girl's room, then climb on board." As she left Gordon though to find a restroom, she had no clue about the runaway engine.

Gordon was the first to see him, then a message came over the intercom, "CLEAR THE PLATFORM! JAMES IS A RUNAWAY! JAMES IS A RUNAWAY! CLEAR THE PLATFORM!"

Passengers ran to clear the platform. Rarity looked and saw James coming, and worst still, she could see James was heading straight for her. Gordon saw this too and blew his whistle, "MOVE MISS RARITY!" Hearing the shouts, Gordon's guard ran from the coach and pulled Rarity back to safety. The fireman meanwhile jumped from the cab, and onto the platform, somehow staying on it.

James shut his eyes as with a scream of horror, he crashed into the wall. Concrete and steel went everywhere. Dust covered much of the station, and when it cleared, everyone could see James in a bad state as he sat in a groove on the platform and sitting in a hole in the wall.

"Ouch," groaned James as a piece of wall fell on him.

"Jamesy, are you alright?" Rarity called.

"I think so, how's my paintjob?"

"I think your paintjob is the least of your problems right now."

"You can say that again Miss Rarity," said a stern voice. James gulped, he knew that voice all too well. It was the Fat Controller. He walked outside and towards James, "it's a miracle no-one was killed James. Is all your showing off worth all of this?"

"No Sir," James gulped.

"I got a call from the Steamworks saying you didn't wait to have your brake-blocks replaced, and you were speeding down the line with your goods, nearly hitting another train. Honestly James, I don't know what's gotten into you. You're acting more like a ten year who didn't get his lollipop than a really useful engine, and now, you've damaged the station."

James groaned, he could feel all the eyes of passengers, staff and engines looking to him.

"I'm sorry Sir, but I thought if I got back sooner, maybe you'd let me pull passengers again."

The Fat Controller scowled at him, "no James, I wasn't. After all your stupid actions lately, I had decided to keep you on goods duty for a month till you learned to behave, but after today, you've extended that until I see fit. It would've been better to have your brakes seen to at the works, then you wouldn't have had this accident in the first place. Now you're going back to the works for fast track repairs, then it's to the shed for a month. After that, you will pull trucks again."

"Yes Sir, sorry sir," sighed James. "I wonder if this is how Thomas felt after his mishaps?"

It was, but unlike Thomas, this time it really was James' fault.

It was near Midnight by the time James was lifted out of the platform and taken to the Steamworks. The engine who took him was none other than Rosie, "you know James, you really did prove one thing."

"What's that?"

"You've proven you are the fastest red engine on Sodor," her mood changed as she became serious, "but the best, not so much."

James said nothing, but after his previous day's encounters, he knew he'd have a lot to think about.

Comments

[Paaaad]

Damn it James, you should know better then that about brakes. Don't you remember what happened on your very first day, while you still had the wooden brake blocks?

[Elroy777]

11771836
As Rarity says "Of all worse things can happen. This... is... THE... WORST... POSSIBLE... THING!"

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

"Here's James!" cried James with a cheerful smile on his face.

Out of all the things that changed with James when transitioning to cgi, this was by far my least favorite thing they started doing after TAB.

"I would never be that rough with them," he sighed, "oh why did I have to be rude to Thomas? Then I could pulling those passengers."

could be pulling those passengers."*

Once his fire was lit, he did collect his trucks, allowing Neville to go back to his jobs, but while he did his best not to complain, James did give sulky looks. Needless to say, it got worse at stations when his previous passengers saw him and give him angry glares. Rarity even commented to Sunset Shimmer; "I think Twilight and Applejack should focus their anger towards James instead."

Agreed.

"Perhaps, but why has got the Number 37 on the sides of her coal bunker?" Lyra asked.

has she got*
The reason she has the number 37, is because she's the 37th steam engine introduced into the show.

"That's good," snickered the trucks from behind James, "cause if she did, we'd have two engines with squeaky brakes. Though really, she has the better paintjob."

paint job."*

All the other trucks had to agree, and they didn't normally say that about an engine's paintjob.

paint job.*

James gritted his teeth over the mention of that old nickname Diesel gave him. Rosie stared firmly at him, "look James, worn out brakes are dangerous things to deal with. If you don't get them checked out, you could end up a runaway like Percy did, only worse. Just go get checked over like the signalman said and I'll handle your trucks."

When did Diesel ever call him that?!?

At the works, the workers checked him over and discovered that his brake-blocks were indeed worn out, "these will need to replaced James," said Cranky Doodle, the Steamworks manager, "it's lucky you didn't have an accident just getting here. Now wait here, and we'll get you fixed up in no time." Cranky Doodle got up and walked over towards Kevin. With another workman on board, they went to the back.

need to be replaced*

James shut his eyes as with a scream of horror, he crashed into the wall. Concrete and steel went everywhere. Dust covered much of the station, and when it cleared, everyone could see James in a bad state as he sat in a groove on the platform and sitting in a hole in the wall.

At least it wasn't tidmoth sheds rugs time!

James said nothing, but after his previous day's encounters, he knew he'd have a lot to think about.

Mhm.

[Kburke20]

11772279
Well beside what happened in this chapter with James (I feel bad for him by the way) it looks like off chapter Henry apologized and is friends Thomas again & it looks Gordon is going to apologies to him too after thinking it over and Rarity's words because I guess he realized that it was his fault a few chapters back that some of the engines and drivers hate Thomas and don't trust him currently you know.

But now here is hoping in a future chapter that Twilight & Applejacks trust issues with Thomas won't cause an accident or trouble with him or the others. 😟

What do you think might happen?

[Elroy777]

11774912
Who knows? Maybe an huge accident? I'm just guessing.

[Kburke20]

11774974
what's a hugs accident?

And yeah, your right we will have to wait until next chapter to find out.

[Elroy777]

11775023
Sorry, I mean huge accident. Not "hugs".

[Kburke20]

11775107
oh, typo no problem, man I do it sometimes too.