Author's notes: This story was entertaining from beginning to end. I really like how this story shows the differences between branchline trains and mainline trains, and how far you can and can't go with pranks.

Wrong Road

Narrator: Thomas' branchline running daily from Knapford to Ffarquhar is important. So is Edward's from Wellsworth to Brendam and Arthur's from Kellsthorpe Road to Kirk Ronan. All 3 bring in valuable traffic of both passengers and goods, but there tracks and bridges are not as strong as those on the mainline. That is why the Fat Controller does not allow the heavier mainline engines such as Henry and Gordon to run on them. Princess Celestia has also reiterated the order to ponies for there safety. But if however, you had heard Rainbow Dash and Gordon talking with Fluttershy and Edward a short while ago, you would have thought that Princess Celestia and the Fat Controller had forbidden engines like Gordon to run on branchlines for quite a different reason. The two engines were being oiled and up by Mr. Holden and Miss Ravens at Tidmouth sheds.

Rainbow Dash: (Grumbling) Man, this stinks!

Gordon: (Grumbling) I know what you mean Rainbow Dash. It's not fair!

Fluttershy: Um excuse me for asking Rainbow, but what stinks?

Edward: And pardon me for asking as well, but what isn't fair Gordon?

Gordon/Rainbow Dash: Letting branchline diesels pull mainline trains!

Fluttershy: Oh my…

Miss Ravens: Oh come on you two, give BoCo a break. After all, the fat controller was still pleased with him.

Mr. Holden: Yeah, she's right. Not only that, Mr. Thompson did so well he's now going to learn how to drive steam engines with Henry, so come on. You got give him credit there.

Gordon: BoCo had no business pulling my WildNorWester yesterday. That train is for mainline engines only!

Rainbow Dash: Yeah. Besides, he only made up a some of the time that James lost. Me and Gordon could have made up all the lost time in 10 seconds flat.

Edward: Ah. I see what you mean Gordon and Rainbow Dash.

Gordon: What would you know about it little Edward… Wait a minute.

Rainbow Dash/Gordon: You do?

Edward: Oh yeah. I can understand how it must feel.

Rainbow Dash: Well… I'm glad you actually see it our way, Old Timer.

Narrator: Edward gave Fluttershy and the two engine crews a sly wink.

Edward: Oh, well I guess we can't win them all, but never mind you two. I'm sure BoCo wouldn't mind letting you pull his trucks sometimes. Then that will make it quite fair, wouldn't you think Fluttershy?

Fluttershy: Yes I guess that could make it fair, that is, if you want too.

Narrator: Rainbow Dash burst into laughter.

Rainbow Dash: Heheheh. Well, they got you there Gordon.

Narrator: Gordon Spluttered furiously

Gordon: THAT SOUNDS ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING! I WON'T PULL BOCO'S DIRTY TRUCKS! AND I WILL NOT RUN ON BRANCHLINES!

Edward: Oh come on Gordon. Why not? I think it would be a nice change of scenery, wouldn't it?

Fluttershy: Yeah. With all the pretty scenery and landscapes. Will, that is, if you want a nice change of scenery that is.

Rainbow Dash: Well to be honest I agree with the trucks, but The branchlines are different story.

Gordon: The Fat Controller and Princess Celestia would never approve of it.

Rainbow Dash: Yeah. It might be fine for engines like you old timer.

Gordon: But big engines like myself are above that.

Rainbow Dash: Yeah, branchlines are alright… I Guess…. But the mainline is all the rage.

Gordon: Besides, branch lines are vulgar.

Mr Holden: (Sighs) Nothing's changed.

Miss Ravens: Heh. If it does change, we'll still be around to see it, what with out immortality and eternal youth and all.

Narrator: Mr. Holden and Rainbow Dash climbed on to Gordon's footplate. Mr. Holden pulled the regulator open and Gordon puffed away in a dignified manner, feeling that his point had been proven. Edward chuckled and followed him to Tidmouth station with Miss Ravens and Fluttershy.

Edward: Heheheh. Oh, same old Gordon.

Narrator: Every evening, two fast passenger trains leave Tidmouth station within 5 minutes of each other. Gordon always leaves first from platform 1 with the 6:25 WildNorWester from Tidmouth to Burrow-In-Furness along the mainline with Rainbow Dash. Edward follows 5 minutes later after Gordon from platform 2 with the 6:30 Dragon of Wellsworth from Tidmouth to Brendam along his branchline with Fluttershy. Usually, there is no problem with dispatching both trains on time and everything normally runs like clockwork, but tonight there was trouble. Gordon, Rainbow Dash and Miss Ravens and a trainee fireman all say it was the ladies fault. She was wearing a green floppy hat and was saying goodbye to a friend sitting in a coach near the guards van of the WildNorWester. It was nearly time for Gordon to start, but to Gordon it felt like ages.

Gordon: Come on! I want to get started it's no fun just idling around here all night.

Mr. Holden/Rainbow Dash: ALRIGHT GORDON! WILL JUST SHUT UP ALREADY!

Rainbow : Goodness for the love of pete Gordon you are really so restless tonight and I always thought that I was sometimes impatient and restless!

Mr. Holden: Goodness gracious Gordon! You are more impatient than a certain little TANK ENGINE that me and Twilight Sparkle KNOW OF who thought it would be fun to go out on HIS OWN and end up having BREAKFAST with Stationmaster RODGER'S FAMILY! This happened back in 1960 which caused a certain DRIVER and a certain PURPLE UNICORN to both go to a PHYSIOLOGIST For EMOTIONAL THEARPY! (breathing hard steam coming out of his ears and nostrils) Ugh!

Rainbow Dash: Whoa there Mr. Holden. Settle down.

Mr. Holden: (Calmed down) Right sorry about that. I just lost my temper (In his head) hmm well at least we got a free breakfast from Rodger's wife Betty. (To the trainee fireman) Hey kid, go see if the guards ready will you lad, my little intern…

Fireman: Oh, sure thing boss.

Narrator: The fireman looked back towards the guards van. He was new to the job. The station was crowded. He couldn't see the guard, but he did see something green waving. He thought it was the flag.

Rainbow Dash: Yo kid! (Whistling for attention) over here friend. Hullo! Hullo! Anybody home?! Are we ready to go.

Fireman: Oh yeah. Right away mate. He's waved the flag.

Narrator: The guard hadn't waved the flag. When Gordon started he left some luggage, several indignant passengers and the guard, whom was helping the porters load luggage onto the train, all stranded on the platform.

Passenger 1: Oy! What the heck do you think your playing at!

Passenger 2: My bags are on that train!

Narrator: The guard then glared at the lady with green hat.

Lady with green hat: Oh dear. Is something wrong Mr. Guard?

Guard: Ma'm, I think your hat just sent the train on it's way.

Narrator: To make matters worse, by the time Gordon had been stopped and brought back, Edwards train was now overdue.

Mr. Holden: Alright. Look I know your new to the job, so will do it this way. If the Fat Controller comes here, he's the man with the top hat

Rainbow Dash: Or if Princess Celestia comes here, that's the gigantic sun goddess. She's the white furred alicorn pony princess with green, blue, pink and purple mane and tail. Anyway, if they do come here and decide to talk to you.

Mr. Holden: Pin it all on me and Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow dash: Yeah and we'll take all the blame.

Celestia/Fat Controller: Ahem!

Rainbow Dash/ Mr. Holden: Oh hullo sir and malady. It wasn't us! It was him! (Points at the fireman)

Rainbow Dash: He was crazy!

Mr. Holden: A regular looney!

Mr. Holden/Rainbow Dash: We had nothing to do with it!

Celestia: Never mind that! We want to know what caused this incident.

Fireman/Mr. Holden/Rainbow Dash/Guard: (Pointing to green hat woman) it was that woman with that stupid green floppy hat's fault!

Celestia: I see.

Fat Controller: Well Gordon, I'm afraid you've missed your path. Now we must clear Edward's train before you can start again. We can't keep his passengers waiting.

Edward: Heheheh. Well Gordon, I think its safe to say that you've caused confusion and delay.

Gordon: Oh shut up Edward! That wasn't in the slightest bit funny. Hmph! I knew bumbling firemen are never good for job.

Edward: Heheheh, and neither do bumbling engines whom jump the flag. At least a certain branchline engine pulling the WildNorWester didn't leave his passengers behind…

Gordon: How dare you say that to…

Mr. Holden/Rainbow Dash: Gordon….

Gordon: FOR THE LOVE OF SODOR, WHAT IS IT NOW?!

Mr. Holden: We were just wondering if by any chance..

Rainbow Dash: If it is even possible for you to do.

Mr. Holden/Rainbow Dash: SHUT UP!

Miss Ravens: You 2 aren't better off. He was just new to the job and confused. Now, give him another chance, please.

Mr Holden: (Sighs) Well played Rach, well played.

Rainbow Dash: Right. We'll give him another chance.

Miss Ravens: Good. Right Edward, Fluttershy, let's go.

Narrator: Edward started off first. This should have put everything right with the least amount of trouble, but control at Tidmouth forgot to warn the signalman at Edward's junction at Wellsworth about the change and made things worse than they were. It was dark by the time the two trains reached the junction and I bet you can guess what happened then. Edward went through on the mainline…

Fluttershy: Uh oh, um Edward. I think we were suppose to turn here.

Edward: You know, your absolutely right Fluttershy.

Miss Ravens: Oh my! This cannot end well.

Narrator: and Gordon was sent along the branchline.

Gordon: Ugh! Of all the places to be sent on, it had to be a branchline.

Rainbow Dash: Oh for the love of pete, Gordon! Shut up!

Mr Holden: You know, he's right. Gordon's too heavy to be on this line.

Narrator: It took Princess Celestia and the Fat Controller several hours to sort out the tangle and pacify the passengers. In the end, Gordon was left with his fire drawn cold and cross on one of Edwards sidings as Mr. Holden, Rainbow Dash and very embarrassed fireman in training went to Wellsworth hotel to stay for the night till they could get Gordon home.

Rainbow Dash : Alright newbie! New plan. Next time, me and Mr. Holden will look back for the guard. You couldn't find the backside of your hands in 10 seconds flat

Fireman: Well sorry, but to be fair I am new around here and by the look of your flying pegasus friend, she looks new too.

Mr. Holden: Don't you have a terrible feeling inside your tiny little thing called a brain.

Rainbow Dash: Which is located in something called your Skull?

Narrator: And the 3 of them went off together. Next morning, as Rainbow Dash and Mr. Holden were getting a sleepy Gordon ready to return home, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, Bill and Ben peeped into the yard to see if BoCo had left any trucks of their coal supply. There were no trucks but the twin engines didn't mind that. Teasing Gordon and Rainbow Dash, they thought, would be much more fun.

Bill: What it is it?

Ben: Ssssh! It's Gordon.

Scootaloo: (surprised) and Rainbow Dash too.

Bill: Well they look like Gordon and Rainbow Dash, but it can't be Gordon and Rainbow Dash. Gordon and Rainbow Dash never come on the branchline. They think them vulgar

Bill/ Ben: Teeehehehehehehee.

Narrator: Rainbow Dash and Gordon Fuming angrily, pretended they hadn't heard.

Scootaloo: Alright, your pushing it Bill! You leave Rainbow Dash alone!

Ben: Well, if it isn't Gordon, it must be a pile of old iron which we better take to scrap yard. And if it isn't Rainbow Dash, it must be a trespasser in a pegasus costume, whom we better report to a constable.

Gordon/Rainbow Dash: What?!

Scootaloo: Bill, knock it off!

Apple Bloom: Ben you knock it off as well! I'm gonna tell Big Macintosh on you!

Rainbow Dash: Oh no no no! Not cool, not cool.

Ben: No Bill, this lot is useless for scrap and that thing must be a monster, whom we better tie down, then, we'll take them both to the harbour and dump them into the sea.

Narrator: Gordon and Rainbow Dash were alarmed and horrified.

Gordon: NO WAIT! I AM GORDON! STOP! STOP! STOP!

Rainbow Dash: STOP, WAIT! I AM THE REAL RAINBOW DASH! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!

Narrator: But the twin tank engines paid no attention and went on teasing.

Bill: Look, I tell you it's the scrap yard for this engine and send that horse thing with wings is a trespasser that needs to go to prison.

Ben: But Bill, cutting up and would be cruel and unjust. We should give them a proper naval funeral and and dump them in the sea along with that monster. Besides, it'll make a wonderful splash.

Bill: Well either way, you two are coming with us!

Bill and Ben: HAHAHAHAHAHA

Rainbow Dash: SSSSSSSTTTTTTTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!

Narrator: Gordon and Rainbow Dash didn't favour either decision and shut they're eyes and prepared for the worst! Just then, Scootaloo jumped down and ran over to protect them.

Scootaloo: That does it! If you want to get Rainbow Dash and Gordon you'll have to get through me!

Apple Bloom: And me!

Narrator: Then, Rainbow Dash picked up courage and joined the little fillies army.

Rainbow Dash: If you want Gordon, you'll have to go through all three of us!

Narrator: Up until that time, Rainbow Dash and Gordon had disapproved of diesels. They were, as they said, ugly, smelly, noisy and troublesome. But when Gordon and Rainbow Dash saw BoCo they thought him the most beautiful sight they had seen.

Rainbow Dash: Look, it's BoCo and Big Macintosh! WooHOO! My prayers have been answered.

Gordon: Oh BoCo! My dear engine! Save me!

BoCo: What is going on here then?

Bill: Well, we don''t know whether to take this old iron take it to the scrap yard and take this scary monster to jail or to dump them in the sea.

BoCo: You'll do neither! Go and arrange your china clay trucks and stop this anarchy this instant.

Ben: But what about the monster and the iro…

Narrator: Before Ben could finish, BoCo and Big Mac, whom had taking stare lessons from Fluttershy, gave an all mighty stare down at the twins.

BoCo: (Giving the stare) Leave it be or I'll take away the coal trucks like last time, but this time, deliberately. Your choice!

Big Macintosh: (Giving the stare) Eeeyup!

Bill/Ben: (Frightened) Uh, yes BoCo and Mr. Big Macintosh! Right away.

Scootaloo: Well done Big Mac, well done BoCo !

Apple Bloom: Yeah. You and BoCo did awesome big brother!

Big Macintosh: Heheheh. Thanks Apple Bloom. Same to you two for defending our friends.

Narrator: Rainbow Dash gave Scootaloo and Apple Bloom a hoof bump much to the little pegasus filly's delight. The foals took the twins away to fetch the china clay trucks. Gordon and Rainbow Dash were very grateful.

Rainbow Dash: Oh thank you so much for saving our lives BoCo and Big Macintosh.

Gordon: Yeah, how did you do it?

BoCo: Ah well, it's just a knack!

Big Macintosh: Eeeyup.

Narrator: Gordon and Rainbow Dash still think that BoCo and Big Macintosh had saved them to this very day, we all know the twins were really teasing… Don't we?

That was part 3. Look out for 'Edward's Exploit' next.