Equestria. Have you ever wondered about how some things in that world are how they are today? Well now, you are about to find out. From having fun, in the park, to fighting crime, or evil terrorists, this is the History of Equestria.

Episode 3: Railways

When most ponies decide to travel, or send goods from one place to another, they rely on the train. Freight trains bring in goods, and supplies that ponies need, while passenger trains take ponies from one place to another.

One of Equestria's famous trains is the Friendship Express. It's the only modern passenger train to be powered by steam.

Fluttershy: If you're looking for a good way to get around one place to another, it's The Friendship Express.
Pinkie Pie: It's wunderbar! Zhe train is decorated to look like candy, und some of it is pink. Zhat is my favorite color.
Reporter: I figured.

The Friendship Express runs from Ponyville to Canterlot, and occasionally goes to Manehattan. Plans are being made for the train to go into Fillydelphia.

Most trains nowaday are no longer powered by steam. They now run on diesel, or electricity.

Big Macintosh: The way I see it, most ponies prefer steam trains than diesel.
Applejack: The only reason why Railroads moved onto diesel, and electric locomotives was because they were cheaper to operate. Though they weren't as powerful, the diesels, and electric engines were faster, more fuel efficient, and didn't require much maintenance, but I ain't gonna forget that story my Granny Smith told me.

During World War 2, Granny Smith worked to load up apples onto freight trains heading to Manehattan. The Equestrian Army needed lots of food, soldiers, guns, vehicles, and other supplies to win, and every railroad helped the war effort by delivering most of these supplies to Manehattan, Los Angeles, or San Franciscolt.

In 1941, just before Equestria got bombed by Japan in Pearl Harbor, The Union Pacific Railroad ordered twenty five massive locomotives called the Big Boy. They were the largest steam engines to be manufactured, and were capable of pulling five mile long trains. They got the supplies to where they needed to be, and at a fast speed to. The Big Boy had a top speed of seventy five miles an hour. At that time, it was faster than most road vehicles. As mentioned earlier, steam trains were replaced by diesels. The Big Boys were used by the U.P until 1959, when all twenty five of them were either scrapped, or placed on static display.

Rainbow Dash: Those engines were so awesome. It's a shame they don't use them anymore. If I were to go into the past, I'd go back in time by sixty years, and see one pulling a train.
Shining Armor: There's only eight left, but only one of them are going to be restored to operating conditions.
Fluttershy: As we speak, they're restoring engine 4014, one of the twenty five Big Boys manufactured for the Union Pacific.
Rarity: I'd love to see it operate, but I wouldn't want to drive it. A lady like myself needs to stay clean, and I can't get any coal dust all over me.
Sweetie Belle: Oh come on Rarity, there can't be that much dust.

Rarity, and Sweetie Belle time travelled to 1946, and saw for theirselves.

Rarity & Sweetie Belle: *Covered in black dust*
Sweetie Belle: Well, looks like I was wrong. At least nopony will call us marshmallows.

We decided to get a few ponies on a train heading from Manehattan to Chicagoat, to interview some other ponies working on a Railway called Amtrak. It's a big railroad that brings ponies to hundreds of places in Equestria, as well as Canada.

Our train will be going from Manehattan, to Chicagoat, and it's called the Lake Shore Limited. Right now, we're looking at the conductor named Wayne.

Wayne: *Looking at camera* Is this thing on?
Camera Pony: Yeah. So, let's start with your name.
Wayne: It's Wayne.
Camera Pony: How long have you worked for this railway?
Wayne: About two months. I got the job right as soon as I graduated from College.
Camera Pony: What's your favorite thing about being the conductor?
Wayne: My favorite part of the job is seeing the many ponies smiling at me when I do my work. It makes my day, and I'm glad that I get to travel with them.
Camera Pony: Least favorite part of the job?
Wayne: I don't know. I don't think there's any part of this job that I don't like.
Camera Pony: Do you worry that your train might crash?
Wayne: Some ponies asked me that, but I don't let that scare me. I know the engineer is good at his job, otherwise, he wouldn't be here.

The train starts at Grand Central station, and makes a few station stops before getting out of the state of Neigh York. As it goes northbound, the Hudson River can be seen next to the tracks. Two other Railroads go by here. They are Metro North, and CSX.

Wayne: Metro North is the same type of railroad that we are, only shorter. CSX is a freight railroad.

Before Amtrak was created, nearly every railroad in Equestria carried both passengers, and freight. But in the 50's, and 60's, fewer ponies were doing business by train. They either drove their car, or flew in an airplane. By 1971, Amtrak was created, and took over most passenger operations from other railroads.

Wayne: Other railways back then were close to being out of business, and they needed some way to make more money. When Amtrak was created, they offered the other railways to pay them for their passenger trains. Amtrak was created by the government, and it's still owned by the government.

Now, Equestrian railroads deal with one type of train. Either passenger trains, or freight.

Our train stops at Harmon, to let some of the passengers off. As they do this, we got an interview from Terrence, the engineer.

Terrence: How are you doing?
Camera Pony: Good. We're from SeanTheHedgehog Productions, and we'd like to ask you some questions.
Terrence: Sure.
Camera Pony: How long have you been an engineer?
Terrence: About eleven years.
Camera Pony: Do you like driving trains?
Terrence: Yeah. I love it.
Camera Pony: What's your favorite part about it?
Terrence: I guess it's the importance of the job that I like the most about it. You got a very important job to do, and it's fun.
Camera Pony: Importance, and fun does sound like a good combination. One more question, have you always been working around this area?
Terrence: Not always. For the first five years of my job, I worked in New Mexico. I'd take trains from Santa Neigh to Phoenix Arizona. Now, I just go from Manehattan to Rochester.

Terrence enjoys his job very much, and couldn't think of any other job he would rather do. As the train continues heading northbound, it also follows the old route of the 20th Century Limited. Back in early 20th century, the Neigh York Central Railroad operated a luxurious passenger train running from Manehattan to Chicagoat, and vice versa.

Rarity: They had a lot of beautiful decorations, as well as good food. Modern trains don't seem to have that taste in luxury anymore.
Applejack: It was really fancy, that's for sure.
Pinkie Pie: It sounds good, but they were missing one little teeny tiny thing. *Grabs party cannon* PARTIES!! *Shoots confetti*
Interviewer: Jesus. You messed up my notes.
Pinkie Pie: Oh, who cares about notes? We need more parties!
Pony Band: *Playing Louie Louie*
Interviewer: Where did I go wrong?
Ponies: *Dancing*
Interviewer: I just wanted to interview ponies about trains, and this happens.

The Union Pacific is the largest railway in all of Equestria. Freight trains go to many of the hundreds of cities in the midwest, or western region.

Applejack: That was the railway with the big boys we were talking about earlier.
Interviewer: Yeah.
Applejack: Then I ain't surprised if they're the largest railroad in all of Equestria.
Pinkie Pie: *Sleeping*
Interviewer: She fell asleep right after her party ended.
Camera Pony: *Losing focus on Pinkie Pie*
Interviewer: Get more focus on that video!
Camera Pony: *Gains more focus*
Pinkie Pie: *Wakes up, and yawns* Guten morgen.
Interviewer: What?
Pinkie Pie: Zhat vas good morning in German.
Interviewer: Oh.
Pinkie Pie: So, vhat are you interviewing me about now?
Interviewer: The Union Pacific.
Pinkie Pie: Zhe pacific of vhat?
Interviewer: It's a railroad!
Pinkie Pie: Oh. It's quiet interesting to me.
Interviewer: How so?
Pinkie Pie: It just is. *Falls asleep again*
Interviewer: *Face turns red, and he is about to go on a rage*

Moving on. The Union Pacific has over eight thousand locomotives on it's roster, over twenty one thousand employees, and is well known by many ponies that like trains. A TV show was even created, taking place on the Union Pacific Railroad in Cheyenne Wyoming. It's called Ponies On The Rails, and so far, there are over seventy episodes, and a movie special.

Rainbow Dash: Great show, I think the actors do an outstanding job.
Rarity: I don't watch much TV, but Ponies On The Rails is one of the things I watch on there.
Interviewer: What's the other thing?
Rarity: Umm...

Rule 34. She mas*******s to it twenty times in one day.

Rarity: Hey! If everypony finds out that it's true I'm done for.
Applejack: *Arrives with Rainbow Dash* We already know about it.
Rainbow Dash: Yeah. You told us just a few weeks ago.
Rarity: *Embarrased*
Interviewer: Let's go find another pony to interview.
Colgate: Ponies On The Rails is a good show, but they should have an episode focused on dental hygene.
Maud Pie: I saw a few rocks in some episodes. So, I like it.

We would get an interview from some of the actors in the show, but they were too busy continuing episodes for season 8.

As mentioned in the previous part of this story, the Union Pacific is Equestrian's longest railroad. It even has part of the responsibility of getting a train all the way from San Franciscolt to Manehattan. The other part of this responsibility is owned by CSX, taking over for the Union Pacific in Chicagoat.

Applejack: Once the train gets to Manehattan, all of the lettuce, tomatoes, and other vegetables that they use for making salads goes to many places in the east coast. Not just in Manehattan, but also in small towns like Ponyville.
Rainbow Dash: If it weren't for the Salad Bowl Express, I wouldn't be able to have all those veggies that I like to eat.

Other times, the train starts off in Los Angeles, instead of San Franciscolt. Today, the Salad Bowl Express, is starting off in San Fran. Several ponies have to work hard to load up the train with the boxes of vegetables quickly in order for the train to leave on time.

Mike: *Loading boxes onto train with a forklift* All of the freight cars on this train are refrigerated boxcars. They keep the food nice, and cool until it reaches it's destination. Now, to load these boxes onto the train, we get boxes onto a forklift, drive them towards the car, and other ponies take them off, and load them onto the train.
Other Ponies: *Takes boxes off the forklift, and into the train*

Once all of the boxes are finished being loaded, the train takes off. One hundred refrigerated boxcars are on the train, and three diesels are being used to take it into Chicagoat. It's a very long way to the windy city from San Franciscolt, so the train will have to make a few stops to change the crew, and refuel the engines.

Engineer: *Driving through the desert. He is blowing the horn as he goes into a tunnel*

One place that the Salad Bowl Express has to go through is a place called Donner Pass. A lot of snow falls there in the winter, even in the spring, and early autumn. Thankfully, the Union Pacific already cleared the snow off the tracks for it's trains to go through.

Engineer: I remember my father working around here on the Southern Pacific thirty years ago. My mom, and I would say a prayer for him, hoping he wouldn't get hurt, or end up being buried under the heaps of snow that fall here.

In the seventies, and eighties, four railroads were responsible for getting the Salad Bowl Express across the United States. The Union Pacific was still one of them, but they also worked with the Southern Pacific, Chicagoat & North Western, and Ponyrail. In 1995, and 1996, The Union Pacific purchased the Chicagoat & North Western, and the Southern Pacific respectively. In 1999, CSX purchased half of Ponyrail, while the other half went to Norfoal Southern.

Engineer: *Slowing train down* We're being taken into the yards here in Cheyenne. I'm going to get off here so another pony can take over, the engines are going to get refueled, and a few of these cars are going onto another train.

The yards are a very important part of a railroad, but also very dangerous. Everypony is required to wear a blue vest, and they are not allowed to walk across any of the tracks, unless it's clear of any trains.

Bill: *Checking the airbrakes between two freight cars* Look at this here.
Camera Pony: *Filming Bill*
Bill: *Gets under cars, and gets on walkie talkie* Don't move yet, you ain't got your airbrakes connected. *Connects the airbrakes, and gets out from under the freight cars* All good.
Engineer: *Blows horn twice, rings the bell, and drives off*
Bill: Yeah, this job is dangerous, but I love it. All I need is my southern accent, love from my wife, and children, and of course my blue vest, and all the common sense a pony can get. If y'all don't have common sense, you ain't gonna survive around here.

Safety is very important in the trainyard. All the trains have to go slow, and the ponies walking through the yards have to do their job with precision, and care.

Bill: Your train is all set man, get going.
Camera Pony: *Running back onto the Salad Bowl Express*
Engineer: You must be that camera pony Willy was telling me about.
Camera Pony: The engineer that got the train here?
Engineer: Yep. I'm Alex, and I'll be your driver today.
Pony: *Flying a helicopter*
Camera Pony: *In helicopter, filming the train*

Our train heads out of Cheyenne, and continues it's route to Chicagoat.

In the previous part of this episode of The History Of Equestria, we saw the Union Pacific take the Salad Bowl Express from San Franciscolt. Now, it has arrived in Chicagoat, and CSX will take over from here.

Max: I'm gonna drive the train the rest of the way. How was you trip so far?
Camera Pony: Excellent.
Max: Well good. Let's get into the locomotives.

Once they get into the engines, the train leaves Chicagoat. Then, it takes eight hours to get into Manehattan, as the train follows the Hudson River Line.

Applejack: *Inside her barn* Whoa whoa whoa, that's the same place that we were talking about earlier with Amtrak.
Interviewer: I wasn't interviewing you, but okay.
Applejack: Oh really? What's with the camera, and the questions in your book then?
Interviewer: It was about something else. Can we just get back to the video?
Applebloom: *Arrives* Hey sis', what was with all that film inside our house?
Interviewer & Applejack: *Staring at each other* That doesn't sound good.

Unfortunately, due to the fact that a certain SOMEPONY lost some film of ours, we cannot show you the train going to Manehattan, but we can show it to you in Manehattan.

Audience: Okay!

So, we're in Manehattan, and The Salad Bowl Express is stopping in the yards.

Max: *Stops train in yards* Well, I guess my fifteen minutes of fame is up, huh?
Camera Pony: Yeah.
Max: *Laughing* It was an honor having you as a special guest on my train.
Camera Pony: And it's gonna be an honor having you in this video.
Max: *Laughing* Thanks dude, I appreciate it.

Now, for unloading the boxes of vegetables from the train. It's just like loading up the train, only in reverse. We showed this video to some ponies, and here's what they said about it.

Derpy: That was awesome, especially how they had two trains going there at the same time.
Interviewer: Uh Derpy, there was only one train. Are you sure your cross-eyed isn't messing with your mind?
Derpy: I'm sure. All I want to do now is have a muffin, and blow bubbles.
Maud: There weren't any rocks, but the video was good.
Pinkie Pie: Zhey need engines from Germaneigh, und zhen it vould be awesome.
Interviewer: Why are you talking like that?
Pinkie Pie: *Very happy* I'm German!
Interviewer: Oh yeah, I forgot. Heil Hitler.
Pinkie Pie: Not zhat kind of German. Zhe cheerful kind zhat likes to eat chocolate, drink soda, und throw parties with lots of candy!
Interviewer: Ah. I see.

When most ponies talk about trains, they often think about passenger trains, others think about the trains of other countries. Then there are those ponies that talk about model trains.

These model trains run on electricity that runs through the tracks, and provides power to the engine on the train. They've been around for over one hundred years.

Pinkie Pie: I've been trying to save up on a model train set, but Mr. und Mrs. Cake won't let me. Zhey say zhere is not enough room, but vhat do zhey know?
Applejack: My sister Applebloom wants one, but sadly.. *Takes hat off, and cries* We're too poor!
Fluttershy: I know someone that lives near my house that has a cool model train set. He has lots of tracks running around his house.

While some ponies make their layout look realistic, taking place in either the past, or the present. Others have fun, being as creative as they can be with getting many different trains running around.

One day, Rainbow Dash got a cool layout set up, and she had it set up during the winter, when it was snowing.

Rainbow Dash: *Making train go around* It's a good thing none of the tracks are covered up in snow yet. I didn't get any snowplows yet. *Laughing*
Camera Pony: That's funny.
Rainbow Dash: You got that right. You should see the layout that my special somepony has. He's not really a pony, but he's a good guy.

A grey hedgehog lives nearby Fluttershy, and he is the one that Fluttershy said had the cool layout. He has a table set up near the walls of his home, and it goes through five rooms of his house.

Sean: I see you like my layout.
Interviewer: Yeah.
Sean: All I need now, is the friendship express. Other than that, I am happy with my train layout. *Having trains go around his table*
Camera Pony: *Filming model trains*
Sean: Come here, I got something to show you.
Camera Pony: *Walking towards Sean*
Sean: *Pointing to glass case* This is where I put most of my engines when they're not in use. I like to switch things up from time to time.
Camera Pony: That's a lot of engines.
Sean: You got that right. You know how much it cost me to get my entire layout set up?
Camera Pony: What?
Sean: Five hundred thousand dollars.

Sean is not the only one to spend a big amount of money on his model trains. Lots of ponies throughout Equestria, and many other countries spent over two hundred thousand dollars on their trains, and their layout. In the end, it's all worth it.

Railways have helped out Equestria in many ways, by getting freight across the country, for those who need it.

Many cities in the east coast, such as Manehattan, Fillydelphia, or Boston have the Acela, the fastest passenger train in all of Equestria.

Las Pegasus is not always about money, and casinos. They get a lot of visitors, and goods from trains as well.

And to top it all off, Equestria has the world's fastest freight train with a speed of 75 miles an hour. Though not as fast as the high speed trains of Europe, it's faster than any other freight train in the world.

The End

Don't forget to read more articles by me, Seanthehedgehog - "The Leader in fanfictions."