Author's notes: Ok. Some of the stories in this feature length are a bit dark, and this is one of them. I still think you will enjoy it though. Here we go.

Bertram's Knight Fall

(Crovens Gate, 1990)

Rachel: My goodness. That could have been nasty.

Duke: That would have put it mildly, young Rachel. Had it not been for Marie Ravens, James Holden, Sunny, Twilight Dusk and the guard, I would have most likely been scrapped.

William: (Shudders) Thank goodness you weren't. Your mother, father, and grand grandmother must have been very brave, Miss Ravens, Mr Holden and Twilight Sparkle.

Miss Ravens: I'll say, though I haven't heard about that exploit before. Hold on. If those ponies were Twilight Sparkle's, Rainbow Dash's, Applejack's and Rarity's great grandmothers, who were Sunny and Party Time?

Pinkie Pie: Ooh! Party Time was my great grandmother.

Fluttershy: (Gasps) And Sunny was my great grandmother too.

Duke: (Smiles) Well, who would have thought that you 6 had your great grandmothers working with us MSR engines in the old days?

Narrator: Rachel was deep in thought about something, thinking back to what Duke described about his 4 siblings and his younger self.

Rachel: Duke, did you say that Bertram was named after one of King Godred's brave knights?

Duke: He sure was.

Rachel: Did he, ever live up to this title?

Narrator: Duke sighed unhappily.

Duke: Well… not really. But, here's what happened to him.

(Mid Sodor, 1888)

Narrator: After Duke's near accident with the slate trucks, the manager thought it would best that he was to shunt in the yards till the manager could trust him. Meanwhile, the other engines had to handle all the trains. Mistress took over the passenger duties and did odd jobs too, Shire horse did mix traffic duties and Pioneer and Bertram worked mostly on goods duties and at the mines in the hills, much to the annoyance of Bertram. One morning, Mistress was waiting on the platform with here express passenger train called the Flying Falcon. She was just having a nice chat with Jewel and Marie Ravens, when Bertram stormed into Arlesburgh with a lead train in tow and James Holden and Zap Apple riding on his footplate.

Bertram: (Grumbling) Goods work! Mine duties! Goods work! Mine duties! Really? Why must I be on goods work and mines duties eh?

Zap Apple: Calm down Bertram. It's important work!

James Holden: Yeah. And it needs to be done.

Bertram: I know already! I don't mind doing goods work, but not twenty four/seven! Why can't that Shire Horse or Mistress do this! I swear, if I see that idiot Duke next time, I'm gonna tear him a new funnel! Fancy him losing control of trucks, of all the stupid things he could ever do! Gosh I swear, manager should have relegated him to work these trains 24/7 for punishment duties!

Narrator: Mistress overheard Bertram's complaining and not pleased with his grumbling.

Mistress: That's enough of that talk, Bertram! Just be thankful Duke didn't wreck himself and that nobody got hurt.

Jewel: Yeah. At least he didn't crash and got the materials to the port safely.

Bertram: But I don't know why the manager had to make him shunt in the yards.

Mistress: He had very good reasons to. Duke needs to learn more about coaches and trucks so that he can understand what expect from both passenger and goods trains.

Narrator: Bertram grunted crossly.

Bertram: Oh yeah, and your no better. You've been doing nothing but passenger runs since we've arrived.

Mistress: (Cross) Now that's simply not true Bertram, and you know it! I do mixed traffic duties too like the rest of us! So mind your manners.

Narrator: Bertram grunted and sulked away to the sheds. Bertram didn't like working mine duties at all. Not because he was really lazy, but because he disliked the job for different reason. Every day, Bertram had to go the mines and push the trucks all the way down into the shafts to collect either slate or lead. It was very dark down there with only his headlight for any source of light. Bertram did not like the mines because he was scared of them. When his loads were loaded, he'd always hurry away out of the mines as fast as he could.

(Bertram burst of the mines looking nearly petrified)

Bertram: (Scared) Oh thank goodness. Light at last.

James Holden: Easy boy! We're lucky you didn't derail in the mineshaft.

Zap Apple: Yeah. Calm down.

Narrator: Eventually, the other engines noticed this too.

Mistress: What's gotten into you Bertram? I saw you racing out of the mineshaft at a really fast pace.

Jewel: Yeah, what's wrong with you? You could have caused a cave in.

Narrator: Bertram shuddered at the thought of that.

Bertram: (Nervous) Oh, it's nothing nothing at all.

Narrator: But Pioneer noticed and began to tease.

Pioneer: Oh, I know why the poor old warrior is scared of going to the big bad mines and into those dark little mine shafts. Hahahahaha

Sky Dasher: Hey knock it off Pioneer! You're really pushing it!

Bertram: (Crossly) Be quiet Pioneer! I'm not scared!

Pioneer: Oh really? Then why do I hear you in your sleep every night say. (Mockingly) Oh I don't wanna go to the mines! I don't wanna go to the mines! It's dark and scary! Pah hahahaha! And they say your named after one of King Gordeds knights. Hehehehahahaha. A cowardly knight. Try to be careful so the mine monster doesn't gobble you up, sir shivers a lot.

Mistress: (Cross) ENOUGH! You leave Bertram alone! Your nothing but arrogant rough riding bully, Pioneer!

Narrator: Soon the engines went to sleep and the ponies went to Arlesburgh inn for the night with Marie Ravens and James Holden. Only Bertram and Mistress were awake. It was now 1888 and many changes had occurred on the little railway line. All 5 of the engines had been refitted with cab's to add to the comfort for their crew, back in 1884, and more revenue came to the line of both passengers and goods. However, at the mines, new sets a rules had to be added. Because of the addition of the cabs, the engines had to go more slowly down the mine wasn't too much of an issue for Duke, Mistress and Shire Horse, but Pioneer and Bertram weren't happy.

(At Arlesdale mines)

Pioneer: Hmph! There goes my fun! Now what will I do for fun….

Sky Dasher: Well thank goodness. As much as I like speed, seeing you going down that fast down the mines is enough to frighten anyone.

Narrator: Then, Pioneer remembered Bertram and grinned devilishly. Everyday when he and Bertram came to the mines, he would jive and tease Bertram and about being scared

Pioneer: Careful the mine monster doesn't eat you, Zap Apple and Party Time up. Hahahahahaha.

Sky Dasher: Pioneer, knock it off!

Party Time: Yeah leave our friend alone.

Narrator: This kept going on and on, and each time Bertram grew more and more scared as the days passed. But one evening, this soon came to ahead. Bertram was to take a train of trucks over to the mines to be loaded with lead. Mistress warned him to be careful.

Mistress: You'd better watch yourself, Bertram. One wrong move and you could end up in a spot of trouble.

Bertram: (Distracted by fear) Yes Mistress ….

Narrator: But Bertram was still to scared to pay attention. Mistress had grave feeling in the bottom of her firebox that this would be the last time she would see him again. Pioneer was working late at the mines, collecting a special load of lead for special shipment to the mainland. He was grumbling as usual about not going fast. But then he saw Bertram was coming and thought of a nasty trick up his funnel.

Pioneer: (To himself) Heheheh. I know I'll give that Bertram a scare of his life.

Narrator: Pioneer carefully shunted his trucks into a siding waiting of Bertram to clear his section then. Bertram was running well his trucks behaved themselves but he was still scared of going to the mines.

Bertram: Oh dear. I really wish it didn't have to be at night…

James Holden: Neither do I Bertram, but we must keep the trains running.

Party time: That's right. You can do it Bertram.

Zap Apple: We're all very proud of you a lesser engine would have coward away instead of doing they're duties.

Narrator: Bertram felt a bit better. He soon entered the mine and was ready to push his trucks into the mineshaft. Pioneer soon saw his chance. Party Time quickly got out to set the points to the mine.

Party Time: Alright all set.

Narrator: Soon, Bertram crept slowly towards the mine shaft propelling his trucks whilst James Holden and Zap Apple looked out to see where they were going.

Pioneer: Now for my plan.

Narrator: Bertram had only gone 5 yards when Pioneer gave a loud shriller ear piercing whistle and left laughing as he did. Bertram was given such a fright that he jumped forward and knocked James Holden and Zap Apple off the footplate and followed the trucks out of control into the shaft.

Bertram: HELP! HELP!

Narrator: Zap Apple and James picked themselves up

Party Time/Zap Apple/James Holden: COME BACK BERTRAM!

Narrator: James Holden and the two ponies ran as fast as they could but it was two late. Bertram's cab knock a plank of wood of the ceiling of the mineshaft there was a rumbling and loud crash! Zap Apple just saved James Holden from getting crushed as the mine shafts entrance collapsed. The two ponies and James Holden were horrified.

James Holden: OH NO! Girls, try to clear some of those rocks! I'm going to phone for help.

Narrator: Mistress, Shire Horse and Duke were in sheds when the news came through. Jewel, Sunny, Twilight Dusk, two other drivers and Marie Ravens along with the manager came up in a panic.

Manager: Get the maintenance train! Bertram's been caved in at the mines near Alresdale!

Narrator: The three George englands were horrified and quickly all three were steamed they collected the maintenance train and hurried to Arlesdale mines. They didn't even see Pioneer steaming away to the sheds. When they arrived at the scene they all set to work trying to clear way the mess to rescue him but rock was much too hard for them to shift. The manager, fighting tears got up and sadly called of the rescue.

Sunny: Oh my…. (Tearing up) Oh poor Bertram… I hope you will be rescued one day….

Mistress: I hope so too, Sunny.

Duke: Same here …..

Shire Horse: Oh, the poor engine….

Narrator: Almost all the engines and ponies began to cry. Pioneer and Sky Dasher, who was the first to arrive back, were surprised to see all of the engines returning back together with the ponies.

Pioneer: Oy! What's happened here now? Why ain't everyone happy?

Shire Horse: (sad) Bertram's got caved in at the mines.

Sky Dasher: Oh no. Is he alright?

Twilight Dusk: We couldn't reach him. The rock was too hard to shift, even with the breakdown equipment. He's trapped.

Mistress: Ahem… If you don't mind everyone and everypony, I would like to ask if we (tears) if we could have a moment of silence, for a brave old warrior that we have lost, Bertram.

Narrator: The engines, drivers and the ponies all agreed and so did Pioneer surprisingly… Days after the accident, the sight shaft was still closed off due to safety issues. After Bertram's loss, Duke was now placed into revenue service again, but this time he didn't grumble or groan about what job he was given. Whenever they passed, he along with Mistress and Shire Horse would always give a small whistle for their lost friend, Bertram the old warrior…

Well, there goes Bertram. As we go, I'll keep a list of what engines have come and gone.
Duke: (No. 1) 1880-
Bertram: (No. 2) 1880-1888
Mistress: (No. 3) 1880-
Pioneer: (No. 4) 1880-
Shire Horse: (No. 5) 1880-

Also, I don't think I've pointed this out yet, but I will anyway. Duke's real life counterpart, Prince, had 3 siblings. They were called Princess, Palmerston and Montaineer. Mistress is based off Princess, Bertram off Palmerston and Pioneer off Montaineer. I'm not sure what Shire Horse is based off of, or if there was ever a 5th Small England tender engine. But anyway, look out for part 3.