Big World! Big Adventures!by The Blue EM2ChaptersEaster BreakScoot and a SkunkAn Apple on the PassA Tale of Two BellesCozy at RothleyCreditsTogether AgainEaster BreakIt was a few days after term had concluded at Canterlot High School, and that meant one thing. The holidays were here at last, a time of fun, relaxation, and enjoyment for all. Well, except most of the teachers, as they would have work to mark, but for everybody else of note in Canterlot, it would be a time of relaxation, fun and enjoyment. Come to think of it, it wouldn't be much fun for the Dazzlings or the train robbers, as both groups were currently behind bars in Canterlot. In the former case, it was for trying both to break friendships apart via cyberbullying, then trying to blow the town up with a runaway train. And in the latter case, it was for trying to rob a train (which itself had been foiled). On the edge of town where Sweet Apple Acres resided, there was a small wooden structure that sat in one of the old trees. It was linked to the ground by a wooden drawbridge, and had a further series of ladders that went up and up into the tree, until they reached an observatory at the top of the tree, home to a big telescope that was often used by the residents to observe the stars, assuming somebody upstairs either hadn’t clouded the sky over or put the telescope back the wrong way around. This was the clubhouse of the Crusaders, a convenient meeting place for the four girls who made up this close-knit group of adventurers, determined to find out who they truly were. The four of them sat inside the clubhouse, but none of them looked particularly happy. Scootaloo shrugged and looked out of the window. “As much as I like holidays,” she said, “I’m not looking forward somehow.” “Oh cheer up grumpyboots!” Apple Bloom laughed. “What is there not ta like about the holidays? Yer not stuck in classroooms fer 5 days a week, the sun shines, and ya can do whatever ya want! As Ah say, what is there not ta like?” “Because I won’t get to spend it with you guys,” Scootaloo sighed. “We’re going to a place called Fort Bragg for a few days.” When she got quizzical looks, she quickly continued. “It’s where my dad was born, and he wants to reconnect with his past or something like that.” She resumed looking out of the window. “Ain’t that where the Skunk Train is?” Apple Bloom asked, her eyes wide. “The what?” Cozy Glow asked. “California Western Railroad,” Sweetie Belle explained. “It’s a heritage line that ran a series of gas turbine railcars, which were really smelly.” “Ah can imagine,” Apple Bloom groaned, pre-emptively holding her nose. “We’ll be going on that!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “I’ll do some filming.” Apple Bloom spoke up next. “Ya know, Ah’ll be near a railroad too.” “Oh, really?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Which one?” “We’re goin’ to a place called Chama, in New Mexico,” the apple girl told her. “They’ve got a line called the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad which we will be ridin’ on.” Sweetie Belle jumped to her feet. “Wait!” she cried. “I may be going to the UK, but I’ll be on the Bluebell Railway! It was the first standard gauge preserved line in the United Kingdom, and I think the world as well.” “The Strasburg Railroad beats it in terms of age, but that was never a heritage line as it technically never ceased operations. But you visiting the Bluebell is rather apt, I think,” Scootaloo said. “Sorry, what?” Sweetie Belle asked, confused. “Sweetie Belle, Bluebell Railway?” Scootaloo pointed out, putting particular emphasis on the matching parts of the words. “Oh!” Sweetie Belle replied. “Right! That makes sense.” “I’ll be in the UK as well,” Cozy mentioned to her friends. “I’ll be going to a place called Loughborough.” Sweetie Belle looked over. “It’s pronounced ‘Luftborough’,” she told the other girl. “Fine,” Cozy answered. “I’ll be going to a place called ‘Luftborough’, and there they have a line called the Great Central. I’ll make sure to ride on it.” Just then Apple Bloom had a brainwave. “I’ve got it!” she cried. “Got what?” Cozy asked. “Ya see, Ah’ve been seized,” Apple Bloom smiled, her face resembling the Cheshire Cat....sort of. “Was it something you ate?” Scootaloo asked. “No, silly!” Apple Bloom replied. “Ah’ve been seized by inspiration!” “And what is this inspiration?” Sweetie Belle asked. “How about,” Apple Bloom, excited at her plan, explained in painstaking detail, “we each record film and interestin’ photos and stuff at the railroads we each plan ta visit. Then, when we get back, we can edit them inta a video, and put it up on our YouTube channel, and therefore see what we were all getting' up to when we were away from one another in different parts of the world! How does that ideas sound?” She looked at her friends, expecting a response. There was a very brief silence, possibly the briefest silence ever recorded in the history of the entire human race. Then the responses came. “I’m in!” Scootaloo called. “Me too!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. “Oh golly!” Cozy Glow added. “I’ll go along with it too!” “Excellent!” Apple Bloom smiled. “We got plenty of time in order ta plan what we wanna take with us in order to record all of this, but make sure not ta do anythin’ stupid.” “Don’t worry about us!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “We’ll be fine!” They then came together, and raised their hands. “CANTERLOT MOVIE CLUB AMATEUR RAILROAD FILM-MAKERS, YAY!” and performed a four-way high five. Just then, there was a knocking at the door. “Scootaloo?” a voice asked. “Sweetie Belle? Cozy Glow?” “Yes, Mr Mac?” Cozy asked in response, a little surprised that somebody had headed out here. “Your parents are here to pick ya up,” Bright Mac finished. “So Ah hope ya got done whatever ya were doin’ in there.” The three girls got up and headed to the door. “See you after the holidays Apple Bloom!” they called, as they headed off into the sunlight, and off on a new adventure. Author's Note Here we go again... Scoot and a SkunkScootaloo and her family arrived in Fort Bragg late on Monday evening. Despite living in the same state, they had ended up getting lost due to the insistence of her father that he knew the way, and his dogged refusal to make use of a SatNav, GPS, direction finding app, navigation unit, or even a map! As a result, they ended up driving here, there and everywhere, primarily because Will had stated with the utmost confidence that ‘no, it’s definitely the next road onto the Interstate’, when almost invariably the opposite had been true. As a result, the family had ended up arriving at their hotel very, very late in the day. As Will popped the boot open, Cheerilee went over to get her case, and motioned for Scootaloo to do the same. “Well, we’re here!” Will proclaimed with a smile, as he took his case out and a bag. “I told you that we would make it to Fort Bragg!” “Indeed,” Cheerilee sighed. “And we are 3 hours late now!” Will shrugged. “Well, the journey beats the destination, that’s what they say!” Scootaloo tapped her mother’s shoulder. “It wasn’t much of a journey,” she whispered in her mother’s ear. Cheerilee laughed. Will looked over to the two of them in confusion. “Something funny?” he asked. “Oh no, not at all,” Cheerilee replied quickly. She had to think of a response or else look a bit odd. “We were...erm...” “Discussing what to get you for Father’s Day!” Scootaloo covered quickly. Will shrugged. “Well, that’s sure nice to hear. Come on, let’s get these cases indoors and checked in!” The lobby of the hotel was nice and spacious. It was painted cream on the inside, in the typical style of an American chain hotel, and there were palm trees and a desk inside, positioned against the back wall. Will and his wife and daughter went over to the desk attendant, who was propped up by a high-backed chair. “Hello?” she said, with a friendly smile. “William Collins?” Will asked. “I have a reservation for the next 3 nights.” The receptionist clicked onto her computer, and sorted through the options presented. “Ah, yes!” she said. “Room 343, for 3 nights.” She stood up and indicated over to the elevator. “You’ll need to use the elevator to reach the 3rd floor, where your room is,” she explained. “Then, you’ll need to take a right, then a left, then another right in order to reach your room.” Will nodded. “Thanks!” he said. “C’mon girls, let’s go!” And he headed off in the direction of the elevator. Cheerilee stared in disbelief. “Girls?” she asked. “Who does that man think I am, his girlfriend?” And she immediately followed in the same direction. Scootaloo lugged her case in. “I was assuming he meant me.” Cheerilee looked down. “There’s only one of you. It would hardly justify using the plural just to refer to one person.” Will laughed. “What if I was using the Royal Plural?” He then paused, and put his arm around his wife. “Besides, you were my girlfriend once Cheers. Then we got married.” The elevator clattered upwards, seeming to take forever to reach its intended destination, the third floor. But at long last, it reached the floor it needed, and the doors rolled open. Will confidently strode out to the left. “Will!” Cheerilee called. “The receptionist said to go right!” Will turned around, and walked past her to the right, saying; “Just testing you, honey!” Cheerilee shook her head. “Honestly, he never listens.” Indicating to Scootaloo, they headed into the corridor and after Will, who had in all likelihood got lost by now. Finding their room, they put their cases down, and sat down at the table to discuss the next day. “So, what time do we need to be at the depot for?” Will asked, looking exhausted. “Departure to Willits is at 11:00 sharp, so it’s probably wise to be there before then,” Cheerilee answered. “What’s on point?” Will added. “Schedule says one of the Skunks, if we are lucky,” Scootaloo added. “Skunk?” Cheerilee was surprised. “Why is a skunk pulling a train?” Scootaloo shook her head. “A skunk is a gas turbine railcar. They are so named because they allegedly smell bad.” “I can imagine,” Will sighed. “Considering the time, shall we go out and get something to eat?” They had a most satisfying meal, and went off to bed to prepare for the next day’s adventure. Scootaloo was the first to awake the next day, and headed into the shower. The noise was enough to wake the others up, and within an hour of them starting (which was the time of 8) they were ready to go. This was when the first disappointment hit them. They headed down to the depot to look around, only to see that the promised railcar wasn’t there. Instead, humming in the platform, coupled to three coaches, was an RS-12 diesel locomotive, rumbling away with the supposed departure to Willits. “Where’s the Skunk?” Will asked. A railroad employee walked over to him. “There were too many riders for the Skunk to handle, so we’re putting on a diesel working.” “How?” Scootaloo asked. “Where have they all come from?” “Track damage on the Willits end,” the employee replied. “We’ve moved all the passengers booked on that train over here by bus.” Cheerilee blinked. “How busy will the train be now?” she asked. “We booked on this end in the hope that it will be quiet.” “We’re looking at about 100 passengers.” Cheerilee’s jaw fell open. “Oh no. My daughter is uncomfortable with large numbers of people around and-” Scootaloo spoke up. “Mom, I’ll be fine,” she said. “I’ll just stand on the open-air car.” “If you’re sure,” Cheerilee replied. “But if at any time you feel uncomfortable, just call me and I can help you, OK?” Boarding time came at last, and Scootaloo took her position right behind the engine. At the allocated departure time, the cry went up the train: “ALL ABOARD!” The driver blasted the horn, and Scootaloo started the camera. The loco rolled forward, but moved very slowly, and rolled across the crossing equally slowly. Even when they got up into the hills, the engine barely revved up. The locomotive seemed to only be running in Notch 2, with barely any sound or speed produced. Well, the line was good if you liked to look at trees, but that was about it. Everything else was quite dull. Scootaloo sighed. “Shame this isn’t a steam loco,” she said to herself, as the train rolled onwards up the grade. Upon their return to Fort Bragg, the family were a little disappointed, to say the least. “That was not value for money,” Will said sadly. “It would be...if you like looking at trees,” Cheerilee groaned. “Or listening to diesels doing next to no work,” Scootaloo added. “We’ll know to avoid this one in future,” Will concluded. “Now, what are we going to do for the rest of our days here?” Author's Note This is based on my real experience of the California Western Railroad. Safe to say I did NOT enjoy it. An Apple on the PassIt was a glorious morning in Chama, New Mexico. The sun shone overhead as the gentle hiss of steam and clanging of bells could be heard. And who should be down there in the yard already but the Apple family, looking around the yard. “Well, there’s 497,” Applejack pointed out, to a rather rusty K-37 sitting over on a siding. Apple Bloom took a snap, and walked over to another machine sitting there. “And there’s OY!” Grand Pear smiled. “Yes indeed, the very one our snowblower is based on.” He indicated deeper into the yard. “So much stuff here, just waitin’ ta be restored.” Applejack laughed. “Well, Ah’ll be. Restorin’ locos just happens ta be yer specialty Sugarcube!” With those words, she reached down and patted Apple Bloom’s head. Apple Bloom looked up at her sister. “Seriously?” she said. “That was a small loco. Ah don’t think mah team could handle a three-foot tender loco!” “Well, you got five steam locos and a diesel up an’ runnin’,” Bright Mac added, joining the conversation as he walked over to the group looking at the collection of locomotives scattered across the yard. “So, Ah think you girls can handle anythin’.” Apple Bloom grinned. “Thanks Pa,” she replied. Bright simply laughed. “Now, who wants a picture in front of that engine?” The family member assembled scrambled to stand in front of 497, with Granny Smith and Pear Butter coming over to join the family momentarily. “Say ‘Apples to the Core’!” Mac called. “Apples to the Core!” the family chorused, although Apple Bloom blinked at just the wrong moment-when the flash bulb engaged. Moments later, the station megaphone fired up. “Good morning ladies and gentlemen,” announced the station master. “We would like to inform you that the 8:30 to Antonito is about to arrive in the platform, so if you could all please assemble on the platform ready for boarding, it would make the process a lot smoother. Thank you, and welcome to the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad.” The system shut off with a loud click. “Sounds like we better get goin’!” Grand Pear said to the others. “Scoot yer boot, folks!” “Ain’t that Applejack’s catchphrase?” Big Mac asked, confused, as they walked back over to the platform. “Where do ya think she got it from?” Grand Pear asked, rhetorically. Big Mac’s facial reaction, and indeed what he said next, confirmed all that was needed to know. “Eeyup,” he said, in his trademark one-word answer to most questions. When they had all assembled on the platform, a loud whistle suddenly rocked the area. Granny Smith reached up to stop her false teeth falling out. “What in tarnation’ was that?” she asked, as she looked around. “That was a Denver and Rio Grande Western five-chime, Granny,” Apple Bloom informed her. “It’s a type of whistle,” Applejack added, before adding to Apple Bloom, “do keep in mind not everybody here speaks this here railbuff language.” Apple Bloom sighed. “Ah may be repeatin’ mahself a lot then,” she replied. The whistle echoed through the terrain again, as a Denver and Rio Grande Western K-36 rolled into the platform with a train of 10 coaches, plus an open-air car, of course. The drop ramps were deployed, and the passengers started boarding. The family walked forward through the train and sat down in the carriage right behind the open-air car. Just then, the conductor arrived, and began to speak to the assembled passengers. “Good morning ladies and gentlemen!” he called. “We are currently getting ready to depart for Antonito. We will be stopping on the journey at Osier for lunch. Once we have arrived at Antonito, a motor coach will take us back to Chama. You may now head out to the open-air car if you so wish.” As soon as he had left the car, Apple Bloom and Grand Pear hopped out of their seats, and headed forward to the open-air car positioned right behind the train. Granny Smith surveyed the interior of the coach with a smile. “Reminds me of the old days,” she said, with a smile. “Did ya travel by train much, Granny?” Applejack asked. “Long before those new-fangled automobiles came along, the train was the only way to travel. Ah can remember travellin’ ta New York many years ago on the mainline. Ah can remember exactly which car Ah sat in.” “Which one was that, ma?” Bright Mac asked, not familiar with this story. “Ah was in the observation car fer most of the trip, and Ah can recall the trip served amazin’ food from the dinin’ car.” Granny Smith smiled as the memories flowed into her mind like fine wine. It is a well-known fact amongst the Apple family that although Granny Smith was not as active as she used to be, one aspect of her that had not diminished due to her age was her memory, which was a sharp as a finely-kept knife. It was this memory that led to one of the family’s favourite games. “What did ya eat?” Big Mac asked. “Eggs,” Granny replied. “How?” Applejack asked also. “Scrambled,” Granny replied in turn. “What colour were ya wearin’?” Pear Butter enquired in turn. “Blue.” Just then, an almighty shout echoed up the train. “ALLLLLL ABBBOOOAAAARDDDDDD!” Following the words of the conductor, he shone his green lamp up the train. The engineer leaned out of the cab and saw the light, and leaned back in. He reached up to the whistle chord and let out three short, sharp blasts that echoed loudly and rolled across the mountains of New Mexico. He then pulled back a lever marked ‘cylinder cocks’ and released the brakes, pulling open the regulator as he did so. The engine began to move forward, steam shooting from its cylinders and puffing loudly as the heavy train got underway. The steam shot into the sky as Apple Bloom leaned over the side of the open-air car with a grin the size of Arizona on her face. “Watch yer head!” Grand Pear reminded her. “Ya may have those goggles on, but watch out fer soot and smoke.” “Got it, Grandpa!” Apple Bloom replied, pulling back and simply looking at the scenery moving around her. With a few minutes passing by, a water tower was passed on their right. Grand Pear pointed it out. “That was built fer one of the Indiana Jones movies!” he explained. “They had to put it back up after it fell over due to wind in 2006!” “Did somebody eat too many beans?” Apple Bloom asked, a smirk on her face. Grand Pear laughed at the joke. “Good one!” Just then, the engine began to make even more noise. “Here we go,” Grand Pear smiled, as he took out his camera and started to record. Apple Bloom did the same. The speed began to fall, as the engine rolled into the 4% grade up Windy Point. This was the second steepest regularly operated gradient in the United States, after Saluda in North Carolina (which came in at an insane 5.3%). It was here the engine began to particularly work hard, snorting loudly as it pulled the heavy train into the grade. Loud barks from the chimney echoed over the hills and down the valleys. Smoke and steam shot into the air, clouds of ash raining down upon the landscape and the train. Hot cinders fell down, and hit Apple Bloom in the arm. “Ouch!” she exclaimed, brushing the hot fragment off of her arm as the train continued to ascend. “Man, are they hot an’ all!” “Watch ya don’t burn yerself!” Grand Pear replied. After a hard climb, and a relatively easy run to Osier, the family disembarked for lunch. It was a buffet format, so they grabbed their items and sat down. Apple Bloom took Mac n’Cheese and then joined her family members. “So, how was it up front?” Applejack asked, before suddenly noticing the patch of red on her sister’s otherwise unblemished yellow skin. “What happened?” she asked in shock. “A cinder landed there,” Apple Bloom replied simply. “It were a bit hot.” “Now why didn’t ya say anythin’?” Bright Mac asked. “We’d happily have helped ya with medicines and all.” Grand Pear leaned over. “Ah appreciate that they are yer kids Bright, but ya need ta stop babyin’ Apple Bloom all the time. She can take care of herself, and from what Ah saw took that fallin’ cinder very well.” He then leaned back and smiled. “And, ta answer yer question Applejack, the run were fantastic. Ah’m not fergettin’ that in a hurry!” The rest of the journey proceeded without much incident, and upon the return to Chama, the family headed out for dinner at a local diner (which was superb, let me tell you). Apple Bloom was happy at having experienced one of the most spectacular rail routes in North America, though of course she was very tired, and fell into an easy and heavy sleep at the end of the day. Author's Note This chapter is loosely based on a visit to the C&TSRR I made in 2012, on a bright day with glorious sun. A Tale of Two BellesAs a Wainwright C Class 0-6-0 made its way up the climb out of Sheffield Park, it produced a wonderful noise as it climbed the bank. The sound of the cylinders and the gentle puffing was music to the ears, and that alone was a good reason to be out this spring day in April. Unfortunately, some people didn’t get to experience it. As moments after the train departed, the family consisting of Hondo Flanks, Cookie Crumbles, Rarity and Sweetie Belle all poured onto the platform, only to see the train racing away into the distance. Sweetie Belle just looked on disbelief as the train got smaller and smaller in the distance. “OH COME ON!” she shouted in frustration. “Keep it down!” Rarity exclaimed. “We want to maintain a level of respectable decorum, don’t we?” This seemingly had no effect on Sweetie Belle, who seemed to be fuming. “This isn’t right!” Hondo Flanks said. “The train isn’t meant to leave for another hour!” He looked at his wife. “It’s only 10 o’clock!” The station master walked over. “Terribly sorry sir,” he said. “But it’s actually 11 o’clock. The clocks have gone forward as part of British Summer Time.” He then walked away, to his next duty. Sweetie Belle turned to her dad, steam pouring out of her ears. “I told you,” she said. “I told you that the clocks went forward!” “Well, I wasn’t aware that the clocks had gone forward!” Hondo replied. “Yes, you were dear,” Cookie added. “Because I reminded you at LEAST seven times!” “Did you?” Hondo asked her. “She did,” Rarity added flatly. “And now we’ve missed our train,” Sweetie Belle said sadly. She walked down the platform. Hondo Flanks looked at his brochure for the line he had picked up at the ticket office. “Well,” he said, “We most certainly won’t get bored whilst we’re waiting.” He looked closer. “The engine sheds are that way,” he said, pointing. “And the museum is on the other platform. So, there’s plenty to do!” They went to the engine sheds first, and looked around inside. On display at the front were No. 55 ‘Stepney’, an icon of railway preservation, as well as a Dukedog and a South Eastern and Chatham Railway ‘01’ 0-6-0, no. 65. Sweetie Belle almost immediately forgot to be cross at her parents, and as such walked up and down the lines of engines with a massive grin on her face. “Look at that!” she said, with a smile. “It’s been years since I last saw one of those!” “Ah, the Bulleid Light Pacifics,” Hondo smiled. “Good, dependable machines, that were easy to maintain but challenging to drive. I hope to drive one someday, or at least have a cab ride.” Sweetie Belle then hopped in the cab of another, a South Eastern and Chatham Railway P Class engine named ‘Bluebell’. Hondo took out his camera, and took a picture with a smile. “There,” he said. “We have two bells in the same shot.” “Sorry, what?” Rarity asked. “Has Sweetie Belle been trying to clone herself again?” “No!” Hondo exclaimed. “The locomotive is called ‘Bluebell’, so by having Sweetie Belle in the cab of ‘Bluebell’, we have two Belles in one shot.” Cookie facepalmed. “Dear, they’re spelt differently,” she groaned. “I know that!” Hondo replied. “It was a pun.” Rarity shrugged her shoulders. “How many more minutes till that train gets here?” she asked, looking tired and bored. “40 minutes,” Cookie reminded her, looking stern. “And please stop whinging; Sweetie and your father didn’t find the country house yesterday to be that interesting, but they took it well and didn’t complain.” Rarity sighed. “Alright mother.” Once they had finished looking around the shed, they went to the Bessemer Arms for lunch. Whilst there, they had a most excellent lunch. Hondo went for the steak and ale pie, which Rarity echoed, whilst Sweetie Belle settled on sausages, chips (or fries), and beans. All the while, Cookie stuck to her guns and went with fish and chips. All the while, the visitors and staff marvelled at their accents (although Rarity was called out for not sounding particularly British, despite her best efforts). Once they were done, they assembled on the platform to see the train in. It soon became apparent that something was rather wrong. As the train rolled into view, the engine was coasting all the way, with steam leaking from places it shouldn't be. The engine was brought to a stop, and the driver got off. “Blowing injector ring,” he explained to the station master. “We need to get it back into the yard and bring out another engine.” “But which engine can we ready in such a short time?” the station master asked. “And who will drive it?” “I can, sir,” said a voice. The station master turned around to see Sweetie Belle looking up at him. “You?” he asked. “How old are you, eight?” “I’m twelve!” she protested. “Besides, I can drive these locomotives. I do so back in the USA!” With that, she presented her licence from the California Coast Railroad. The station master peered at it. “Well,” he said, “It all seems to check out. Take control of number 323 and get this train to Horsted Keynes and return.” “Can I fire?” asked Hondo Flanks, with a grin on his face. “I’ve always wanted to fire a steam engine.” The station master nodded. “Yes, you can. Now, off you go, you two!” Within a few minutes, they had 323 ready to go and out of the shed. Waiting for the points to change, Sweetie Belle expertly opened the regulator and the locomotive rolled through the station beautifully. Rarity and Cookie looked on in amazement as they saw their younger sister and daughter respectively driving the tank engine with such precision and skill. The engine rolled out of the front station approach, backed down through the points and was coupled to the front of the train. Sweetie Belle looked to her father. “This will be tough,” she said, with a look of determination on her face. “You need to keep the fire hot, but don’t use too much coal. I’ll focus on keeping up steam pressure on the climb.” “Got it!” he nodded, his hands gripping the shovel tightly. The guard’s whistle sounded, and Sweetie Belle pulled the whistle chord, a long, deep note that rumbled through the area. She opened up the regulator, and the engine pulled away, producing a melodious note from its chimney as it climbed the hill. The locomotive had to work hard in order to clear the steep gradient. All the while, the weight of the coaches pulled it back, and speed threatened to drop to unsustainable levels, but Sweetie Belle managed to keep the train going, through superb control of the regulator and the cutoff. Hondo kept the fire nice and hot, and the train rolled into Horsted Keynes right on time. The station master at Horsted Keynes came out to congratulate them. “Well done!” he called. “You did a superb job on that run, and thanks to you we didn’t have to cancel a train. Good work!” Sweetie Belle simply beamed with pride that day. Author's Note The clone joke is a reference to the 'Evil Belle' series of stories. They are extremely funny and well worth a read. If you wish to see 323 in action, you will enjoy a visit to the Bluebell Railway. Cozy at RothleyCozy Glow relaxed on the platform at Rothley station on a wonder Thursday afternoon. Seated near her were her parents. Chipper Day, her father, was admiring the architecture of the station, whilst her mother, Happy Song, was doing precisely that; humming a tune to herself. On the table in front of them sat two mugs and a glass. The two mugs had tea in them, and the glass had some orange juice. All three drinks had been purchased from the station café, which they were now seated outside of, and the cool breeze mingled nicely with the warm spring sun. Chipper Day picked up his mug, and put it too his lips, taking a sip of his freshly brewed tea. A moment later, said tea flew out of his mouth and across the platform, stopping when it reached the white line marking where passengers had to stand. “Chipper!” his wife called. “What happened?” “Be careful dear,” he replied, placing the mug down on the table again. “The tea is seriously strong!” Cozy looked at him, confused. “Dad, I though you drank tea when we lived in Wales.” Chipper, until recently, had been a soldier in the US Army, and for many years had been based at a base (as there were not many other places he could be based) in North Wales. This had been very handy, as it meant that they were within easy reach of the Welsh narrow gauge preserved lines, but it was less useful when it came to rain. In fact, Cozy had found it difficult acclimatising to the fact it didn’t rain a lot in Canterlot, but her new friends had helped her along. “Besides, why would people even drink a hot drink in hot weather?” “Because it makes you sweat,” her mother explained, “and therefore cools you down.” “So, you heat yourself up to cool yourself down.” Cozy just looked in confusion before drinking some more juice. “Seems rather counterproductive.” “Well, it clearly works, or else people wouldn’t do it.” Chipper smiled, and went on. “After all, the English do it all the time.” A man looked over at him. “So do the Welsh!” he exclaimed, looking less than pleased. Cozy smiled. “Gall fod yn ddiogel i ddweud bod y Prydeinig yn ei wneud.” She replied. In case it was not clear, Cozy had learned Welsh as a child, and as a result could speak it fluently. “Rwy'n credu y gallwn gytuno â'r syniad hwnnw!” the man replied, smiling as well. Just then a whistle sounded, and a train pulled in from Leicester North. At the head (or should I say rear) was 48624, the line’s resident 8F. It rolled to a stop, and many passengers got off, headed for the station café as they did so. “That’s probably a call for us to go!” Happy Song called to her family. “C’mon Cozy!” Chipper called. “We need to catch a train!” Cozy smiled, and ran to the train, hopping aboard. But she didn’t take a seat. Instead, she dropped the window, and stuck her head out of the window, producing a camera as she did so. The engine pulled away with a snort and a rumble, rolling down the track smoothly and well. The sound was beautiful, the engine producing white steam and clean exhaust. It was a smooth run back down the line, as the Great Central was very flat, not having the steep gradients that many other preserved lines have. That day had been fairly calm. They had arrived at 9:45 in the morning, and boarded the 10:00 to Leicester North, pulled by Black 5 45305. They then went all the way to Leicester North, before coming back, as Leicester North was not very interesting and there was no reason to remain there. They had then run back to Rothley and gotten off for a bit, which was when we joined them. And now they were back at the beginning, and their day on the Great Central had ended. But Cozy had lots of good footage to show her friends, so it hadn’t been too bad a day. Author's Note I strongly reccomend a visit to the GCR. CreditsMadeleine Peters-Scootaloo Michelle Creber-Apple Bloom Sunni Westbrook-Cozy Glow Claire Corlett-Cozy Glow Bill Newton-Bright Mac Brad Pitt-Will Collins Nicole Oliver-Cheerilee Tabitha St. Germain-Receptionist, Granny Smith, Rarity, Cookie Crumbles, Happy Song Brian Drummond-CWR employee, Chama station announcer, C&T Conductor, Chipper Day Ashleigh Ball-Applejack William Shatner-Grand Pear Felicia Day-Pear Butter Peter New-Hondo Flanks Michael Caine-Sheffield Park Stationmaster Bill Nighy-Bluebell engine driver Johnathan Price-Welshman on Rothley platform Together AgainThe sun was beating down once more upon Sweet Apple Acres, and in the clubhouse four individuals had gathered after their holidays. The silence that had fallen upon the room inside the clubhouse suddenly vanished as Apple Bloom banged her fist upon the table. “Hear ye, hear ye!” she called, in a loud voice. “The first post-holiday session of the Crusaders is now in session!” “Roll call!” Sweetie Belle called out. “Scootaloo?” “Here!” “Cozy Glow?” “Present!” “Apple Bloom?” Apple Bloom shook her head. “Of course, Ah’m here, otherwise Ah wouldn’t have been able ta call the meetin’ ta order!” Sweetie Belle nodded, and ticked off the name. “And I’m here as well.” She looked up. “So, how’d it go?” Scootaloo spoke up first. “We got a diesel, which was pretty boring. It was barely working on the climb, and we had lots of trees to look at! In a word, dull.” Apple Bloom went next. “At least we got some good steam action out in New Mexico.” “What happened?” Cozy Glow asked, her face suddenly aglow (which was rather apt when you thought about it). “The locomotive on the front made a truly wonderful noise, which Ah recorded and then augmented with footage Grand Pear recorded,” Apple Bloom continued. “It were great fun!” She then paused again, and rubbed the portion of her otherwise yellow arm that had gone slightly pink. “Gettin’ hit by flyin’ ash weren’t so much fun, though...” Sweetie Belle went next. “We arrived late, so got to look around a bit, and then got to drive a replacement engine as the original one broke down.” When the others looked at her in surprise, she quickly explained. “Dad and I. We drove. Well, I drove, he fired.” Cozy Glow went last. “Mine was fairly ordinary, compared to yours. We just went up and down the line a few times. That was it, really.” Apple Bloom spoke again. “Glad ta hear y’all had fun! Now Ah say we go and edit those clips together! Who’s with me?” “YEAH!” they all cried, and headed out of the clubhouse toward the house, with plans in their heads and happiness in their hearts. Author's Note Well, that's it for this story. I hope you all enjoyed, and see you soon!
Easter BreakIt was a few days after term had concluded at Canterlot High School, and that meant one thing. The holidays were here at last, a time of fun, relaxation, and enjoyment for all. Well, except most of the teachers, as they would have work to mark, but for everybody else of note in Canterlot, it would be a time of relaxation, fun and enjoyment. Come to think of it, it wouldn't be much fun for the Dazzlings or the train robbers, as both groups were currently behind bars in Canterlot. In the former case, it was for trying both to break friendships apart via cyberbullying, then trying to blow the town up with a runaway train. And in the latter case, it was for trying to rob a train (which itself had been foiled). On the edge of town where Sweet Apple Acres resided, there was a small wooden structure that sat in one of the old trees. It was linked to the ground by a wooden drawbridge, and had a further series of ladders that went up and up into the tree, until they reached an observatory at the top of the tree, home to a big telescope that was often used by the residents to observe the stars, assuming somebody upstairs either hadn’t clouded the sky over or put the telescope back the wrong way around. This was the clubhouse of the Crusaders, a convenient meeting place for the four girls who made up this close-knit group of adventurers, determined to find out who they truly were. The four of them sat inside the clubhouse, but none of them looked particularly happy. Scootaloo shrugged and looked out of the window. “As much as I like holidays,” she said, “I’m not looking forward somehow.” “Oh cheer up grumpyboots!” Apple Bloom laughed. “What is there not ta like about the holidays? Yer not stuck in classroooms fer 5 days a week, the sun shines, and ya can do whatever ya want! As Ah say, what is there not ta like?” “Because I won’t get to spend it with you guys,” Scootaloo sighed. “We’re going to a place called Fort Bragg for a few days.” When she got quizzical looks, she quickly continued. “It’s where my dad was born, and he wants to reconnect with his past or something like that.” She resumed looking out of the window. “Ain’t that where the Skunk Train is?” Apple Bloom asked, her eyes wide. “The what?” Cozy Glow asked. “California Western Railroad,” Sweetie Belle explained. “It’s a heritage line that ran a series of gas turbine railcars, which were really smelly.” “Ah can imagine,” Apple Bloom groaned, pre-emptively holding her nose. “We’ll be going on that!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “I’ll do some filming.” Apple Bloom spoke up next. “Ya know, Ah’ll be near a railroad too.” “Oh, really?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Which one?” “We’re goin’ to a place called Chama, in New Mexico,” the apple girl told her. “They’ve got a line called the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad which we will be ridin’ on.” Sweetie Belle jumped to her feet. “Wait!” she cried. “I may be going to the UK, but I’ll be on the Bluebell Railway! It was the first standard gauge preserved line in the United Kingdom, and I think the world as well.” “The Strasburg Railroad beats it in terms of age, but that was never a heritage line as it technically never ceased operations. But you visiting the Bluebell is rather apt, I think,” Scootaloo said. “Sorry, what?” Sweetie Belle asked, confused. “Sweetie Belle, Bluebell Railway?” Scootaloo pointed out, putting particular emphasis on the matching parts of the words. “Oh!” Sweetie Belle replied. “Right! That makes sense.” “I’ll be in the UK as well,” Cozy mentioned to her friends. “I’ll be going to a place called Loughborough.” Sweetie Belle looked over. “It’s pronounced ‘Luftborough’,” she told the other girl. “Fine,” Cozy answered. “I’ll be going to a place called ‘Luftborough’, and there they have a line called the Great Central. I’ll make sure to ride on it.” Just then Apple Bloom had a brainwave. “I’ve got it!” she cried. “Got what?” Cozy asked. “Ya see, Ah’ve been seized,” Apple Bloom smiled, her face resembling the Cheshire Cat....sort of. “Was it something you ate?” Scootaloo asked. “No, silly!” Apple Bloom replied. “Ah’ve been seized by inspiration!” “And what is this inspiration?” Sweetie Belle asked. “How about,” Apple Bloom, excited at her plan, explained in painstaking detail, “we each record film and interestin’ photos and stuff at the railroads we each plan ta visit. Then, when we get back, we can edit them inta a video, and put it up on our YouTube channel, and therefore see what we were all getting' up to when we were away from one another in different parts of the world! How does that ideas sound?” She looked at her friends, expecting a response. There was a very brief silence, possibly the briefest silence ever recorded in the history of the entire human race. Then the responses came. “I’m in!” Scootaloo called. “Me too!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. “Oh golly!” Cozy Glow added. “I’ll go along with it too!” “Excellent!” Apple Bloom smiled. “We got plenty of time in order ta plan what we wanna take with us in order to record all of this, but make sure not ta do anythin’ stupid.” “Don’t worry about us!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “We’ll be fine!” They then came together, and raised their hands. “CANTERLOT MOVIE CLUB AMATEUR RAILROAD FILM-MAKERS, YAY!” and performed a four-way high five. Just then, there was a knocking at the door. “Scootaloo?” a voice asked. “Sweetie Belle? Cozy Glow?” “Yes, Mr Mac?” Cozy asked in response, a little surprised that somebody had headed out here. “Your parents are here to pick ya up,” Bright Mac finished. “So Ah hope ya got done whatever ya were doin’ in there.” The three girls got up and headed to the door. “See you after the holidays Apple Bloom!” they called, as they headed off into the sunlight, and off on a new adventure. Author's Note Here we go again...
Scoot and a SkunkScootaloo and her family arrived in Fort Bragg late on Monday evening. Despite living in the same state, they had ended up getting lost due to the insistence of her father that he knew the way, and his dogged refusal to make use of a SatNav, GPS, direction finding app, navigation unit, or even a map! As a result, they ended up driving here, there and everywhere, primarily because Will had stated with the utmost confidence that ‘no, it’s definitely the next road onto the Interstate’, when almost invariably the opposite had been true. As a result, the family had ended up arriving at their hotel very, very late in the day. As Will popped the boot open, Cheerilee went over to get her case, and motioned for Scootaloo to do the same. “Well, we’re here!” Will proclaimed with a smile, as he took his case out and a bag. “I told you that we would make it to Fort Bragg!” “Indeed,” Cheerilee sighed. “And we are 3 hours late now!” Will shrugged. “Well, the journey beats the destination, that’s what they say!” Scootaloo tapped her mother’s shoulder. “It wasn’t much of a journey,” she whispered in her mother’s ear. Cheerilee laughed. Will looked over to the two of them in confusion. “Something funny?” he asked. “Oh no, not at all,” Cheerilee replied quickly. She had to think of a response or else look a bit odd. “We were...erm...” “Discussing what to get you for Father’s Day!” Scootaloo covered quickly. Will shrugged. “Well, that’s sure nice to hear. Come on, let’s get these cases indoors and checked in!” The lobby of the hotel was nice and spacious. It was painted cream on the inside, in the typical style of an American chain hotel, and there were palm trees and a desk inside, positioned against the back wall. Will and his wife and daughter went over to the desk attendant, who was propped up by a high-backed chair. “Hello?” she said, with a friendly smile. “William Collins?” Will asked. “I have a reservation for the next 3 nights.” The receptionist clicked onto her computer, and sorted through the options presented. “Ah, yes!” she said. “Room 343, for 3 nights.” She stood up and indicated over to the elevator. “You’ll need to use the elevator to reach the 3rd floor, where your room is,” she explained. “Then, you’ll need to take a right, then a left, then another right in order to reach your room.” Will nodded. “Thanks!” he said. “C’mon girls, let’s go!” And he headed off in the direction of the elevator. Cheerilee stared in disbelief. “Girls?” she asked. “Who does that man think I am, his girlfriend?” And she immediately followed in the same direction. Scootaloo lugged her case in. “I was assuming he meant me.” Cheerilee looked down. “There’s only one of you. It would hardly justify using the plural just to refer to one person.” Will laughed. “What if I was using the Royal Plural?” He then paused, and put his arm around his wife. “Besides, you were my girlfriend once Cheers. Then we got married.” The elevator clattered upwards, seeming to take forever to reach its intended destination, the third floor. But at long last, it reached the floor it needed, and the doors rolled open. Will confidently strode out to the left. “Will!” Cheerilee called. “The receptionist said to go right!” Will turned around, and walked past her to the right, saying; “Just testing you, honey!” Cheerilee shook her head. “Honestly, he never listens.” Indicating to Scootaloo, they headed into the corridor and after Will, who had in all likelihood got lost by now. Finding their room, they put their cases down, and sat down at the table to discuss the next day. “So, what time do we need to be at the depot for?” Will asked, looking exhausted. “Departure to Willits is at 11:00 sharp, so it’s probably wise to be there before then,” Cheerilee answered. “What’s on point?” Will added. “Schedule says one of the Skunks, if we are lucky,” Scootaloo added. “Skunk?” Cheerilee was surprised. “Why is a skunk pulling a train?” Scootaloo shook her head. “A skunk is a gas turbine railcar. They are so named because they allegedly smell bad.” “I can imagine,” Will sighed. “Considering the time, shall we go out and get something to eat?” They had a most satisfying meal, and went off to bed to prepare for the next day’s adventure. Scootaloo was the first to awake the next day, and headed into the shower. The noise was enough to wake the others up, and within an hour of them starting (which was the time of 8) they were ready to go. This was when the first disappointment hit them. They headed down to the depot to look around, only to see that the promised railcar wasn’t there. Instead, humming in the platform, coupled to three coaches, was an RS-12 diesel locomotive, rumbling away with the supposed departure to Willits. “Where’s the Skunk?” Will asked. A railroad employee walked over to him. “There were too many riders for the Skunk to handle, so we’re putting on a diesel working.” “How?” Scootaloo asked. “Where have they all come from?” “Track damage on the Willits end,” the employee replied. “We’ve moved all the passengers booked on that train over here by bus.” Cheerilee blinked. “How busy will the train be now?” she asked. “We booked on this end in the hope that it will be quiet.” “We’re looking at about 100 passengers.” Cheerilee’s jaw fell open. “Oh no. My daughter is uncomfortable with large numbers of people around and-” Scootaloo spoke up. “Mom, I’ll be fine,” she said. “I’ll just stand on the open-air car.” “If you’re sure,” Cheerilee replied. “But if at any time you feel uncomfortable, just call me and I can help you, OK?” Boarding time came at last, and Scootaloo took her position right behind the engine. At the allocated departure time, the cry went up the train: “ALL ABOARD!” The driver blasted the horn, and Scootaloo started the camera. The loco rolled forward, but moved very slowly, and rolled across the crossing equally slowly. Even when they got up into the hills, the engine barely revved up. The locomotive seemed to only be running in Notch 2, with barely any sound or speed produced. Well, the line was good if you liked to look at trees, but that was about it. Everything else was quite dull. Scootaloo sighed. “Shame this isn’t a steam loco,” she said to herself, as the train rolled onwards up the grade. Upon their return to Fort Bragg, the family were a little disappointed, to say the least. “That was not value for money,” Will said sadly. “It would be...if you like looking at trees,” Cheerilee groaned. “Or listening to diesels doing next to no work,” Scootaloo added. “We’ll know to avoid this one in future,” Will concluded. “Now, what are we going to do for the rest of our days here?” Author's Note This is based on my real experience of the California Western Railroad. Safe to say I did NOT enjoy it.
An Apple on the PassIt was a glorious morning in Chama, New Mexico. The sun shone overhead as the gentle hiss of steam and clanging of bells could be heard. And who should be down there in the yard already but the Apple family, looking around the yard. “Well, there’s 497,” Applejack pointed out, to a rather rusty K-37 sitting over on a siding. Apple Bloom took a snap, and walked over to another machine sitting there. “And there’s OY!” Grand Pear smiled. “Yes indeed, the very one our snowblower is based on.” He indicated deeper into the yard. “So much stuff here, just waitin’ ta be restored.” Applejack laughed. “Well, Ah’ll be. Restorin’ locos just happens ta be yer specialty Sugarcube!” With those words, she reached down and patted Apple Bloom’s head. Apple Bloom looked up at her sister. “Seriously?” she said. “That was a small loco. Ah don’t think mah team could handle a three-foot tender loco!” “Well, you got five steam locos and a diesel up an’ runnin’,” Bright Mac added, joining the conversation as he walked over to the group looking at the collection of locomotives scattered across the yard. “So, Ah think you girls can handle anythin’.” Apple Bloom grinned. “Thanks Pa,” she replied. Bright simply laughed. “Now, who wants a picture in front of that engine?” The family member assembled scrambled to stand in front of 497, with Granny Smith and Pear Butter coming over to join the family momentarily. “Say ‘Apples to the Core’!” Mac called. “Apples to the Core!” the family chorused, although Apple Bloom blinked at just the wrong moment-when the flash bulb engaged. Moments later, the station megaphone fired up. “Good morning ladies and gentlemen,” announced the station master. “We would like to inform you that the 8:30 to Antonito is about to arrive in the platform, so if you could all please assemble on the platform ready for boarding, it would make the process a lot smoother. Thank you, and welcome to the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad.” The system shut off with a loud click. “Sounds like we better get goin’!” Grand Pear said to the others. “Scoot yer boot, folks!” “Ain’t that Applejack’s catchphrase?” Big Mac asked, confused, as they walked back over to the platform. “Where do ya think she got it from?” Grand Pear asked, rhetorically. Big Mac’s facial reaction, and indeed what he said next, confirmed all that was needed to know. “Eeyup,” he said, in his trademark one-word answer to most questions. When they had all assembled on the platform, a loud whistle suddenly rocked the area. Granny Smith reached up to stop her false teeth falling out. “What in tarnation’ was that?” she asked, as she looked around. “That was a Denver and Rio Grande Western five-chime, Granny,” Apple Bloom informed her. “It’s a type of whistle,” Applejack added, before adding to Apple Bloom, “do keep in mind not everybody here speaks this here railbuff language.” Apple Bloom sighed. “Ah may be repeatin’ mahself a lot then,” she replied. The whistle echoed through the terrain again, as a Denver and Rio Grande Western K-36 rolled into the platform with a train of 10 coaches, plus an open-air car, of course. The drop ramps were deployed, and the passengers started boarding. The family walked forward through the train and sat down in the carriage right behind the open-air car. Just then, the conductor arrived, and began to speak to the assembled passengers. “Good morning ladies and gentlemen!” he called. “We are currently getting ready to depart for Antonito. We will be stopping on the journey at Osier for lunch. Once we have arrived at Antonito, a motor coach will take us back to Chama. You may now head out to the open-air car if you so wish.” As soon as he had left the car, Apple Bloom and Grand Pear hopped out of their seats, and headed forward to the open-air car positioned right behind the train. Granny Smith surveyed the interior of the coach with a smile. “Reminds me of the old days,” she said, with a smile. “Did ya travel by train much, Granny?” Applejack asked. “Long before those new-fangled automobiles came along, the train was the only way to travel. Ah can remember travellin’ ta New York many years ago on the mainline. Ah can remember exactly which car Ah sat in.” “Which one was that, ma?” Bright Mac asked, not familiar with this story. “Ah was in the observation car fer most of the trip, and Ah can recall the trip served amazin’ food from the dinin’ car.” Granny Smith smiled as the memories flowed into her mind like fine wine. It is a well-known fact amongst the Apple family that although Granny Smith was not as active as she used to be, one aspect of her that had not diminished due to her age was her memory, which was a sharp as a finely-kept knife. It was this memory that led to one of the family’s favourite games. “What did ya eat?” Big Mac asked. “Eggs,” Granny replied. “How?” Applejack asked also. “Scrambled,” Granny replied in turn. “What colour were ya wearin’?” Pear Butter enquired in turn. “Blue.” Just then, an almighty shout echoed up the train. “ALLLLLL ABBBOOOAAAARDDDDDD!” Following the words of the conductor, he shone his green lamp up the train. The engineer leaned out of the cab and saw the light, and leaned back in. He reached up to the whistle chord and let out three short, sharp blasts that echoed loudly and rolled across the mountains of New Mexico. He then pulled back a lever marked ‘cylinder cocks’ and released the brakes, pulling open the regulator as he did so. The engine began to move forward, steam shooting from its cylinders and puffing loudly as the heavy train got underway. The steam shot into the sky as Apple Bloom leaned over the side of the open-air car with a grin the size of Arizona on her face. “Watch yer head!” Grand Pear reminded her. “Ya may have those goggles on, but watch out fer soot and smoke.” “Got it, Grandpa!” Apple Bloom replied, pulling back and simply looking at the scenery moving around her. With a few minutes passing by, a water tower was passed on their right. Grand Pear pointed it out. “That was built fer one of the Indiana Jones movies!” he explained. “They had to put it back up after it fell over due to wind in 2006!” “Did somebody eat too many beans?” Apple Bloom asked, a smirk on her face. Grand Pear laughed at the joke. “Good one!” Just then, the engine began to make even more noise. “Here we go,” Grand Pear smiled, as he took out his camera and started to record. Apple Bloom did the same. The speed began to fall, as the engine rolled into the 4% grade up Windy Point. This was the second steepest regularly operated gradient in the United States, after Saluda in North Carolina (which came in at an insane 5.3%). It was here the engine began to particularly work hard, snorting loudly as it pulled the heavy train into the grade. Loud barks from the chimney echoed over the hills and down the valleys. Smoke and steam shot into the air, clouds of ash raining down upon the landscape and the train. Hot cinders fell down, and hit Apple Bloom in the arm. “Ouch!” she exclaimed, brushing the hot fragment off of her arm as the train continued to ascend. “Man, are they hot an’ all!” “Watch ya don’t burn yerself!” Grand Pear replied. After a hard climb, and a relatively easy run to Osier, the family disembarked for lunch. It was a buffet format, so they grabbed their items and sat down. Apple Bloom took Mac n’Cheese and then joined her family members. “So, how was it up front?” Applejack asked, before suddenly noticing the patch of red on her sister’s otherwise unblemished yellow skin. “What happened?” she asked in shock. “A cinder landed there,” Apple Bloom replied simply. “It were a bit hot.” “Now why didn’t ya say anythin’?” Bright Mac asked. “We’d happily have helped ya with medicines and all.” Grand Pear leaned over. “Ah appreciate that they are yer kids Bright, but ya need ta stop babyin’ Apple Bloom all the time. She can take care of herself, and from what Ah saw took that fallin’ cinder very well.” He then leaned back and smiled. “And, ta answer yer question Applejack, the run were fantastic. Ah’m not fergettin’ that in a hurry!” The rest of the journey proceeded without much incident, and upon the return to Chama, the family headed out for dinner at a local diner (which was superb, let me tell you). Apple Bloom was happy at having experienced one of the most spectacular rail routes in North America, though of course she was very tired, and fell into an easy and heavy sleep at the end of the day. Author's Note This chapter is loosely based on a visit to the C&TSRR I made in 2012, on a bright day with glorious sun.
A Tale of Two BellesAs a Wainwright C Class 0-6-0 made its way up the climb out of Sheffield Park, it produced a wonderful noise as it climbed the bank. The sound of the cylinders and the gentle puffing was music to the ears, and that alone was a good reason to be out this spring day in April. Unfortunately, some people didn’t get to experience it. As moments after the train departed, the family consisting of Hondo Flanks, Cookie Crumbles, Rarity and Sweetie Belle all poured onto the platform, only to see the train racing away into the distance. Sweetie Belle just looked on disbelief as the train got smaller and smaller in the distance. “OH COME ON!” she shouted in frustration. “Keep it down!” Rarity exclaimed. “We want to maintain a level of respectable decorum, don’t we?” This seemingly had no effect on Sweetie Belle, who seemed to be fuming. “This isn’t right!” Hondo Flanks said. “The train isn’t meant to leave for another hour!” He looked at his wife. “It’s only 10 o’clock!” The station master walked over. “Terribly sorry sir,” he said. “But it’s actually 11 o’clock. The clocks have gone forward as part of British Summer Time.” He then walked away, to his next duty. Sweetie Belle turned to her dad, steam pouring out of her ears. “I told you,” she said. “I told you that the clocks went forward!” “Well, I wasn’t aware that the clocks had gone forward!” Hondo replied. “Yes, you were dear,” Cookie added. “Because I reminded you at LEAST seven times!” “Did you?” Hondo asked her. “She did,” Rarity added flatly. “And now we’ve missed our train,” Sweetie Belle said sadly. She walked down the platform. Hondo Flanks looked at his brochure for the line he had picked up at the ticket office. “Well,” he said, “We most certainly won’t get bored whilst we’re waiting.” He looked closer. “The engine sheds are that way,” he said, pointing. “And the museum is on the other platform. So, there’s plenty to do!” They went to the engine sheds first, and looked around inside. On display at the front were No. 55 ‘Stepney’, an icon of railway preservation, as well as a Dukedog and a South Eastern and Chatham Railway ‘01’ 0-6-0, no. 65. Sweetie Belle almost immediately forgot to be cross at her parents, and as such walked up and down the lines of engines with a massive grin on her face. “Look at that!” she said, with a smile. “It’s been years since I last saw one of those!” “Ah, the Bulleid Light Pacifics,” Hondo smiled. “Good, dependable machines, that were easy to maintain but challenging to drive. I hope to drive one someday, or at least have a cab ride.” Sweetie Belle then hopped in the cab of another, a South Eastern and Chatham Railway P Class engine named ‘Bluebell’. Hondo took out his camera, and took a picture with a smile. “There,” he said. “We have two bells in the same shot.” “Sorry, what?” Rarity asked. “Has Sweetie Belle been trying to clone herself again?” “No!” Hondo exclaimed. “The locomotive is called ‘Bluebell’, so by having Sweetie Belle in the cab of ‘Bluebell’, we have two Belles in one shot.” Cookie facepalmed. “Dear, they’re spelt differently,” she groaned. “I know that!” Hondo replied. “It was a pun.” Rarity shrugged her shoulders. “How many more minutes till that train gets here?” she asked, looking tired and bored. “40 minutes,” Cookie reminded her, looking stern. “And please stop whinging; Sweetie and your father didn’t find the country house yesterday to be that interesting, but they took it well and didn’t complain.” Rarity sighed. “Alright mother.” Once they had finished looking around the shed, they went to the Bessemer Arms for lunch. Whilst there, they had a most excellent lunch. Hondo went for the steak and ale pie, which Rarity echoed, whilst Sweetie Belle settled on sausages, chips (or fries), and beans. All the while, Cookie stuck to her guns and went with fish and chips. All the while, the visitors and staff marvelled at their accents (although Rarity was called out for not sounding particularly British, despite her best efforts). Once they were done, they assembled on the platform to see the train in. It soon became apparent that something was rather wrong. As the train rolled into view, the engine was coasting all the way, with steam leaking from places it shouldn't be. The engine was brought to a stop, and the driver got off. “Blowing injector ring,” he explained to the station master. “We need to get it back into the yard and bring out another engine.” “But which engine can we ready in such a short time?” the station master asked. “And who will drive it?” “I can, sir,” said a voice. The station master turned around to see Sweetie Belle looking up at him. “You?” he asked. “How old are you, eight?” “I’m twelve!” she protested. “Besides, I can drive these locomotives. I do so back in the USA!” With that, she presented her licence from the California Coast Railroad. The station master peered at it. “Well,” he said, “It all seems to check out. Take control of number 323 and get this train to Horsted Keynes and return.” “Can I fire?” asked Hondo Flanks, with a grin on his face. “I’ve always wanted to fire a steam engine.” The station master nodded. “Yes, you can. Now, off you go, you two!” Within a few minutes, they had 323 ready to go and out of the shed. Waiting for the points to change, Sweetie Belle expertly opened the regulator and the locomotive rolled through the station beautifully. Rarity and Cookie looked on in amazement as they saw their younger sister and daughter respectively driving the tank engine with such precision and skill. The engine rolled out of the front station approach, backed down through the points and was coupled to the front of the train. Sweetie Belle looked to her father. “This will be tough,” she said, with a look of determination on her face. “You need to keep the fire hot, but don’t use too much coal. I’ll focus on keeping up steam pressure on the climb.” “Got it!” he nodded, his hands gripping the shovel tightly. The guard’s whistle sounded, and Sweetie Belle pulled the whistle chord, a long, deep note that rumbled through the area. She opened up the regulator, and the engine pulled away, producing a melodious note from its chimney as it climbed the hill. The locomotive had to work hard in order to clear the steep gradient. All the while, the weight of the coaches pulled it back, and speed threatened to drop to unsustainable levels, but Sweetie Belle managed to keep the train going, through superb control of the regulator and the cutoff. Hondo kept the fire nice and hot, and the train rolled into Horsted Keynes right on time. The station master at Horsted Keynes came out to congratulate them. “Well done!” he called. “You did a superb job on that run, and thanks to you we didn’t have to cancel a train. Good work!” Sweetie Belle simply beamed with pride that day. Author's Note The clone joke is a reference to the 'Evil Belle' series of stories. They are extremely funny and well worth a read. If you wish to see 323 in action, you will enjoy a visit to the Bluebell Railway.
Cozy at RothleyCozy Glow relaxed on the platform at Rothley station on a wonder Thursday afternoon. Seated near her were her parents. Chipper Day, her father, was admiring the architecture of the station, whilst her mother, Happy Song, was doing precisely that; humming a tune to herself. On the table in front of them sat two mugs and a glass. The two mugs had tea in them, and the glass had some orange juice. All three drinks had been purchased from the station café, which they were now seated outside of, and the cool breeze mingled nicely with the warm spring sun. Chipper Day picked up his mug, and put it too his lips, taking a sip of his freshly brewed tea. A moment later, said tea flew out of his mouth and across the platform, stopping when it reached the white line marking where passengers had to stand. “Chipper!” his wife called. “What happened?” “Be careful dear,” he replied, placing the mug down on the table again. “The tea is seriously strong!” Cozy looked at him, confused. “Dad, I though you drank tea when we lived in Wales.” Chipper, until recently, had been a soldier in the US Army, and for many years had been based at a base (as there were not many other places he could be based) in North Wales. This had been very handy, as it meant that they were within easy reach of the Welsh narrow gauge preserved lines, but it was less useful when it came to rain. In fact, Cozy had found it difficult acclimatising to the fact it didn’t rain a lot in Canterlot, but her new friends had helped her along. “Besides, why would people even drink a hot drink in hot weather?” “Because it makes you sweat,” her mother explained, “and therefore cools you down.” “So, you heat yourself up to cool yourself down.” Cozy just looked in confusion before drinking some more juice. “Seems rather counterproductive.” “Well, it clearly works, or else people wouldn’t do it.” Chipper smiled, and went on. “After all, the English do it all the time.” A man looked over at him. “So do the Welsh!” he exclaimed, looking less than pleased. Cozy smiled. “Gall fod yn ddiogel i ddweud bod y Prydeinig yn ei wneud.” She replied. In case it was not clear, Cozy had learned Welsh as a child, and as a result could speak it fluently. “Rwy'n credu y gallwn gytuno â'r syniad hwnnw!” the man replied, smiling as well. Just then a whistle sounded, and a train pulled in from Leicester North. At the head (or should I say rear) was 48624, the line’s resident 8F. It rolled to a stop, and many passengers got off, headed for the station café as they did so. “That’s probably a call for us to go!” Happy Song called to her family. “C’mon Cozy!” Chipper called. “We need to catch a train!” Cozy smiled, and ran to the train, hopping aboard. But she didn’t take a seat. Instead, she dropped the window, and stuck her head out of the window, producing a camera as she did so. The engine pulled away with a snort and a rumble, rolling down the track smoothly and well. The sound was beautiful, the engine producing white steam and clean exhaust. It was a smooth run back down the line, as the Great Central was very flat, not having the steep gradients that many other preserved lines have. That day had been fairly calm. They had arrived at 9:45 in the morning, and boarded the 10:00 to Leicester North, pulled by Black 5 45305. They then went all the way to Leicester North, before coming back, as Leicester North was not very interesting and there was no reason to remain there. They had then run back to Rothley and gotten off for a bit, which was when we joined them. And now they were back at the beginning, and their day on the Great Central had ended. But Cozy had lots of good footage to show her friends, so it hadn’t been too bad a day. Author's Note I strongly reccomend a visit to the GCR.
CreditsMadeleine Peters-Scootaloo Michelle Creber-Apple Bloom Sunni Westbrook-Cozy Glow Claire Corlett-Cozy Glow Bill Newton-Bright Mac Brad Pitt-Will Collins Nicole Oliver-Cheerilee Tabitha St. Germain-Receptionist, Granny Smith, Rarity, Cookie Crumbles, Happy Song Brian Drummond-CWR employee, Chama station announcer, C&T Conductor, Chipper Day Ashleigh Ball-Applejack William Shatner-Grand Pear Felicia Day-Pear Butter Peter New-Hondo Flanks Michael Caine-Sheffield Park Stationmaster Bill Nighy-Bluebell engine driver Johnathan Price-Welshman on Rothley platform
Together AgainThe sun was beating down once more upon Sweet Apple Acres, and in the clubhouse four individuals had gathered after their holidays. The silence that had fallen upon the room inside the clubhouse suddenly vanished as Apple Bloom banged her fist upon the table. “Hear ye, hear ye!” she called, in a loud voice. “The first post-holiday session of the Crusaders is now in session!” “Roll call!” Sweetie Belle called out. “Scootaloo?” “Here!” “Cozy Glow?” “Present!” “Apple Bloom?” Apple Bloom shook her head. “Of course, Ah’m here, otherwise Ah wouldn’t have been able ta call the meetin’ ta order!” Sweetie Belle nodded, and ticked off the name. “And I’m here as well.” She looked up. “So, how’d it go?” Scootaloo spoke up first. “We got a diesel, which was pretty boring. It was barely working on the climb, and we had lots of trees to look at! In a word, dull.” Apple Bloom went next. “At least we got some good steam action out in New Mexico.” “What happened?” Cozy Glow asked, her face suddenly aglow (which was rather apt when you thought about it). “The locomotive on the front made a truly wonderful noise, which Ah recorded and then augmented with footage Grand Pear recorded,” Apple Bloom continued. “It were great fun!” She then paused again, and rubbed the portion of her otherwise yellow arm that had gone slightly pink. “Gettin’ hit by flyin’ ash weren’t so much fun, though...” Sweetie Belle went next. “We arrived late, so got to look around a bit, and then got to drive a replacement engine as the original one broke down.” When the others looked at her in surprise, she quickly explained. “Dad and I. We drove. Well, I drove, he fired.” Cozy Glow went last. “Mine was fairly ordinary, compared to yours. We just went up and down the line a few times. That was it, really.” Apple Bloom spoke again. “Glad ta hear y’all had fun! Now Ah say we go and edit those clips together! Who’s with me?” “YEAH!” they all cried, and headed out of the clubhouse toward the house, with plans in their heads and happiness in their hearts. Author's Note Well, that's it for this story. I hope you all enjoyed, and see you soon!
