Author's notes: (Sighs) I forgot to upload this to the story last time and I deleted it from the doc area so I had to edit this story twice now! Ok, sorry guys. Anyway, I really like this story because it introduces us to a new setting and it shows off the world building element to Sodor which I absolutely love! I also love the small engines themselves. Always a good laugh out of me when I hear the 3 interact. Anyway, here we go.

Dear Rachel, do you remember those old lead mines up in the hills along the right of way of the Mid Sodor Railway which have both long been closed since 1947? Well, truth be told the lead has long since fade into the pages of history. However, The Fat Controller and Princess Celestia hace now found that this waste is good weed-killing railway ballast. The Fat Controller and Princess Celestia have talked to Princess Luna, The Owner and the thin controller of the Skarloey Railway, as several other important volunteers and foals and another princess. They "went shares" and they along with us helped to build a Small Railway along the same right of way as the predecessor railway to fetch the weed killing ballast away. This is known as the Arlesdale Miniature Railway, currently operated by 3 small engines and 3 young foals the railway it's self is co-managed by Princess Cadence and former Skarloey Railway preservation society volunteer Mr. Fergus Duncan. The small engines and foals call him the small controller. They call him the Small Controller; but that is only in fun. He is taller than either of the others. Anyway, here are the stories of what happened when you, me and Mr. Hawkins decided to visit and volunteer the Arlesdale Miniature Railway.

Your best friend forever,

William James Holden.

P.S

I wish we knew about the spoils many years ago before it was too late. Ah well. At least a good portion of the good old days is back and here to stay.

Ballast

Narrator: It was 1967 and The Fat Controller's railway has a brand new look from end to end they're clearing old ballast from the track and packing the sleepers with fresh new stones. The same has been happening on both the Culdee Fell mountain railway and the Skarloey railway as well. The Ganger's, and engines and ponies are very pleased with this new sort of ballast,

Gordon: (Sigh) This ballast is much smoother than that old rubbish used before.

Rainbow Dash: Ah yeah! I tell you right now, this ballast is definitely the bees knees, eh Big Macintosh?

Big Macintosh : Eeeyup. It's as smooth as applesauce, and weeds don't even grow in it like the old ballast.

Henry: Oh you better believe it, the sidings are much more cleaner now.

Applejack: Even James and Rarity have stopped fussin' and grumbling about dirty sidings.

Narrator: Donald, Douglas, Big Macintosh and Braeburn along with Mr. Hawkins and Mr. Thompson all disappeared regularly behind the big station with empty trucks along a line which non of the other engines had gone on, barring Edward who took Mr Holden, Miss Ravens and the main 6 down to the Mid Sodor Line when they were on their railtour, and returned with loaded ballast trains. They were most mysterious about it, as were the main 5 drivers One day, James pulled into Knapford with the Thunderbird of Tidmouth with Mr. Roberts and Rarity. They saw Donald, Mr. Hawkins and Big Macintosh pulling out with empty trucks along the line behind Tidmouth.

James: Oy Donald! Where is all this ballast coming from?

Donald: Verra wee engines bring it down from the hills.

Big Macintosh: Eeeyup.

Narrator: The same happened when Henry pulled in with the pickup goods with Applejack and Miss Ravens.

Henry: Hey Douglas, where did you get that ballast?

Douglas: Verra wee engines bring it down from the hills.

Braeburn: That's right.

Narrator: Soon the engines and ponies engines could talk of nothing else.

Henry: You know, I don't understand why Donald, Douglas, Braeburn and Big Macintosh are so secretive about this ballast business.

James: Well, they aren't they only ones. The main 5 drivers are acting a bit secretive about this as well.

Henry: I wonder if the, 'verra wee engines', must be some kind of magic?

James: You know, you could have a point there Henry.

Gordon: I don't believe it!

Rainbow Dash: Well to fair though, it could be true you know.

Rarity: Rainbow Dash is right. I mean, unicorns and alicorns can cast spells, and pegasus ponies and earth ponies do have passive forms of magic.

Gordon: Well that is true, but all the same. Donald, Douglas, Braeburn and Big Mac have pulled our wheels and hooves before.

James: Good point.

Henry: I agree.

Rarity: True Gordon.

Rainbow Dash: They sure have.

Sally: (Sighs) Looks like they are at it again.

Bridget: You said it dear sister.

Belle: I don't it's magic you guys.

Cloud Chaser: Just ignore them guys.

Flitter: Yeah. Come on you 2. Let's get the Great Northern Flyer ready to go.

Blossomforth: And Belle and I had better get the Bluebird of Knaphord too.

Narrator: But Duck, Applejack, and Twilight Sparkle weren't too convinced. They wanted to find out for themselves. So the next morning, Duck asked permission to take some empty trucks to a place called Alresburgh.

Applejack: Say that name sounds familiar. But I just can't remember why.

Twilight Sparkle: Same here. I know I've heard of Alresburgh before, but where?

Duck: Well I've never heard about it, so this will be my first time.

Narrator: When they arrived, they were told to push the trucks under a chute, this was like a tunnel with steel gutters and on top of it stood some queer looking trucks that they had never seen before.

Twilight Sparkle: Interesting design on both the trucks and chute, but why are they up there?

Applejack: Well your guess is as good as mine twi.

Duck: Same here. I've never seen trucks that small before, and I should know.

?: What do you think of our chute?

?: Good isn't it?

Narrator: The two ponies and the Great Western pannier tank engine jumped.

Twilight Sparkle: WHAT IN EQUESTRIA?!

Duck: WHAT IN BRUNELL?!

Applejack: WHAT IN TARNATION?!

Twilight Sparkle/Applejack/Duck : Who said that?

?/?: over here. Right next to you.

Narrator: the two ponies and the great western engine all blinked. Standing right beside them was a little lanky yellow unicorn foal colt with a teal mane and tail with snail for a cutie mark. He was sitting next to Mr. Holden in the cab of a small green tender engine he had 8 small driving wheels 2 small trailing wheels in the back and 2 small leading wheels in the front.

Applejack: What in tarnation?! Snails?

Twilight Sparkle: Mr. Holden?

Twilight Sparkle/Applejack: Is that you?

Snails: In the flesh Applejack.

Mr. Holden: How are you doing girls?

Twilight Sparkle: Fine, but what are you two doing here?

?: Oh, we were just arranging some of our ballast trucks for the next ballast train. So, how bout that chute? Pretty neat huh?

Duck: Uh, yes. It is a very nice chute, but if you don't mind my asking, where did you spring from?

Rex: Oh, I've been here all the time. Heheh… I'm Rex. And you I'm sure, are Twilight Sparkle, Applejack and Duck.

Narrator : Duck and the two ponies were surprised.

Duck : how did you know?

Rex: That's easy. There's only one Great Western Engine in these parts. Applejack, I've heard about the Apple Family, and that Applejack is the 2nd oldest of the 3 siblings. And as for you Twilight, a certain pony princess told me all about you.

Narrator: There was sudden rattling and roaring. Duck's whole train shuddered.

Applejack: YYAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!

Twilight Sparkle: WHHHHHHHOOOOOOOAAAAAAAA!

Duck: W-W-W-W-WHAT WAS THAT?!

Rex: That was our chute. The bottoms of those wagons slide out, and the stones fall from the chute into your trucks.

Snails: They may be small, but quite efficient.

Duck: Wow. Very impressive Rex.

Narrator: Still impressed, Duck puffed away with his loaded ballast trucks.

Mr. Hawkins: (Chuckle) Well there you have it guys. Mystery solved.

Applejack: Wait until the others hear about this.

Twilight Sparkle: 'Mystery solved', except that I can't remember where I heard "Alresburgh" before.

Narrator: Next morning when Duck, Twilight Sparkle and Applejack returned with another train trucks to be loaded with ballast, there were 3 small engines. One of the new engines blue, and the other red.

Duck: Hello again Rex and Snails. Oh. Who are these 2?

Twilight Sparkle: I don't think we've met you 2 before.

Rex: Hey Duck, Applejack and Twilight Sparkle, I like to introduce you to my brothers. This is Bert,

Bert: Hello there.

Rex: And Mike.

Mike: Hey, what's up?

Duck: Nice to meet you both.

Snails: And these are my friends, Snips and of course (blushes) Twist.

Narrator: Snails pointed to snips a blue unicorn with an orange mane and tail, and scissors cutie mark, and a white earth pony with a red mane and tail, purple glasses, and candy canes shaped in a heart cutie mark.

Snips: Nice to meet you Duck.

Twist: Pleasure is all ours.

Mike: Say, did you know I'm actually named after your friend, Mike Hawkins?

Duck: Wow, really?

Mr. Hawkins: Eeeyup. Quite an honour too.

Twist: Good to see you again Applejack. How's Apple Bloom?

Applejack: She's as fit as fiddle and having loads of fun on the Skarloey railway. She and Scootaloo even landed a job with Bill and Ben the china clay works. I'll tell you said hi.

Twist: Oh yes please Applejack.

Rex: As you all can see, the small controller has given us different coats.

Mike: Silly nonsense. If you ask me.

Bert: What's so silly about it? I like being blue.

Mike: It's alright for you. But not for me. Passengers will say I look like a pillar box.

Rex: Shocking, absolutely shocking. (Winks at Duck) Consider my theories. When we were both green, passengers keep calling me Mike.

Mike: You...You! You little…

Bert: Stow it you 2. Duck, Applejack, Twilight, have you seen our coaches?

Duck: Where are they Bert?

Applejack: I don't see them.

Twilight Sparkle: Neither can I.

Bert: Over there. Snips, can you gallop over and light your horn so that Duck, Applejack and Twilight can see them?

Snips: Got it Bert. (Does as he is told)

Duck: But their tr... I mean, not like ours.

Rex: Heheheh. That's alright Duck. Besides I agree. They are like trucks in a way. But they have seats and they behave surprisingly well.

Mike: Says you.

Twist: They are alright, if you treat them right.

Bert: Besides, passengers like them. They won't use cupboards on a fine day. It's the scenery you know. Trees, mountains and such. Can't understand it myself. Then again, passengers are queer.

Mike: You got that right. Give me goods trains every time.

Duck/Applejack/Twilight Sparkle: What?!

Applejack: Did I hear ya right?

Twilight Sparkle: Your kidding me right?

Duck: Do you like trucks?

Mike: Not all of them. But our big ballast hoppers are different. They run on bogies, as sweetly as any coach. We take them to the old mines, fill them up and run them down here to the chute, the men and ponies pull some levers, and the lot's unloaded before you can say "Small Controller" and " Princess Cadence" ten times fast. No trouble at all.

Rex: Hey Mike, what about hot axial boxes?

Mike: We soon cured that nonsense.

Twist: You mean Princess Cadence and the small controller did.

Mike: Same thing.

Narrator: Twilight Sparkle, Applejack and Duck chuckled.

Twilight Sparkle: Say um, do you have a princess pony that helps out your controller at all?

Bert: Oh yes. Her name's Princess Cadence. Very and sweet. She knows when to be serious but she's awfully kind to all of us.

Twilight Sparkle: (Gape in delight and bouncing around in a circle) Oh yippy! You're working with Cadence! You're working with Cadence!

Duck: But what I can't understand is why we've never heard of you before?

Narrator: The small engines answered at once.

Bert: We've only just come from our railway in England which closed.

Mike: Your controller asked us to come and fetch ballast for him.

Rex: And he said he would bring us plenty of passengers too.

Applejack: Haven't you had passengers before?

Snails: According to these guys, only in England.

Snips: It's their 1st season here.

Twist: Same for us.

Duck: Oh. Then I'll bring you lots.

Applejack: We all will, won't we?

Twilight Sparkle: Of course.

Narrator: Everyone said their goodbyes and Duck puffed away with Applejack and Twilight, very excited to see about the arrangements.

Yep, this was our plan for Cadence. Now, look at the board:

North Western Railway: The Fat Controller and Princess Celestia
Skarloey Railway: The Thin Controller and Princess Luna
Culdee Fell Railway: The Big Controller and Prince Shining Armor
Arlesdale Railway: The Small Controller and Princess Cadence

We still have one more railway to cover and one more member of royalty to take over that railway. Which one is that, you ask? Well, wait and see.