Mighty Mac is a Double Fairlie locomotive.
Double Fairlies have two halves. In this case, one half is called Mighty, the other Mac.
Mighty tends to be the boastful one, despite being older, while Mac is the kinder one and is usually trying to reason with Mighty.
The two halves often disagree on which way to go.
"Let's go this way! It'll be much faster!" said Mighty at a junction.
Mac scoffed.
"But that way isn't on our route!" he cried.
Mighty was indignant.
"Who cares? Let's take it anyway!" the other half said huffily.
"That's the stupidest logic." grumbled Mac.
"You have the stupidest logic." scowled Mighty.
"No, you do!"
"You do!"
"No, you do!"
"You do! All the time!"
Mighty Mac always argued among themselves constantly, which made pulling a train difficult sometimes.
On top of that, Mighty always faced forwards, while Mac always faced backwards.
This made Mac very cross; he always felt awkward facing the front coach of truck.
He sometimes tried to explain to Mighty, but it was always the same conversation.
"I don't like everything slipping away from me." he would say, "Facing rolling stock doesn't sound very appealing."
"Get used to it." said Mighty bitterly, "You're just ungrateful."
"Can't you consider my feelings?" Mac asked crossly.
"Consider mine," snorted Mighty.
Mac quickly realized he wasn't going to get anywhere with him and eventually stopped trying, but deep down in his smokebox he knew what he wanted.
It didn't help Mighty always boasted that he faced forward, which not only annoyed Mac, but the other engines.
"I am facing forwards, Rusty! Look at me," Mighty said at Glennock.
"Good for you..." Rusty huffed.
One day, in the sheds, Mighty was boasting as usual.
"Guess who's gonna sleep on the wrong side of the shed?" he asked, grinning.
"Gee, I can't imagine who!" huffed Sir Handel sarcastically.
"It's Mac!" laughed Mighty.
"...how predictable," Sir Handel muttered.
Mac was furious, but tried to keep calm.
"Guess who's going to face forwards, today?" continued Mighty confidently.
"You, right?" grumbled Rusty.
"Correct! I'm in front! As usual!"
Mac was now crosser still, but was at least happy his friends stuck up for him.
"Mighty, you're just becoming predictable at this point." said Peter Sam, "It's stale and annoying."
"Nonsense! I am Mighty, the very mighty engine!"
"That's a terrible pun." huffed Sir Handel.
"What utter rubbish!" scowled Mighty.
Soon, it was time to leave with their first train, much to the relief of the other engines.
"At last," Peter Sam sighed to himself.
"Come on, little one!" said Mighty, "We mustn't be late with you tagging along."
Mac was about to say something when Skarloey interrupted.
"Mighty, you can't just think you yourself as your own. Mac is a part of you." he said, "You can't say Mac is smaller because he's the exact same size as you."
"Well, that's confusing." muttered Sir Handel.
"Quiet."
Mighty just rolled his eyes as the Double Fairlie puffed away.
Mighty was boasting all of the way to Lakeside.
"I'm the better half!" he boasted, "Because I'm in the front!"
"Right..." huffed Mac.
"The front's the best. The backside is...the backside." continued Mighty.
At Lakeside, Duncan was shunting some trucks of cocoa to take to the Wharf.
"Mighty, why are you so late?" huffed Duncan.
"Hey, Duncan! Sorry, I'm late. Mac told me there was a shortcut."
Mac frowned.
"You were the one that told me that there was a shortcut!" argued Mac.
"Oh, that's Mac for you. Always lying..." said Mighty.
Of course, Mac was correct. Mighty was the one who told him there was a shortcut, but Mighty didn't want to admit it.
Duncan glared at Mac. "I see... well, he's the one that made ye late."
Mac was furious.
"You've got to believe me, Duncan! It was Mighty!"
Mighty scoffed.
"Why do you think my name's Mighty? Because I'm an honest engine, and I would be better off if you weren't stuck to me like glue!"
Duncan had to agree and puffed off with his train of cocoa.
"I hope you learn that your ways are wrong, Mac!" said Duncan crossly, "Accusing your other half... I expected better of ye."
Mac sighed sadly while Mighty grinned and the Double Fairlie puffed off.
That night, Mac was staring at the back of the shed, refusing to speak while Mighty got to enjoy the fresh, cool night air.
"The night air is lovely, Mac! You're missing a lot!"
Mac decided that that was the last straw.
"I'll pay him back somehow!" he thought, "But how shall I do it...? Maybe I'll sleep on it."
So he went to sleep to Mighty's consistently pompous attitude.
The next morning, Mighty woke up.
"Ah, the fresh air's nice today, isn't it Rusty?"
"Well, I guess." replied the little diesel.
"Will you quit yakking? I'm trying to sleep!" muttered Sir Handel.
"Actually, it is time to get to work now. It's 5:00!" explained Rheneas and he puffed off to the Blue Mountain Quarry.
The firelighter had just finished lighting Peter Sam's fire and went off to Mac.
Mac's crew had just arrived to check everything.
Mighty's fire lit up easily, but Mac's was a different story.
"Why isn't the fire starting?" asked the driver.
"I think the fire just needs a little motion to get going. Let's have Mighty tug Mac across the yard."
"No, that will take too long! Let's go on the turntable instead!" said Mac quickly; he had just found a way to pay Mighty out.
"Alright." agreed the firelighter, "Saving time is the best we can do."
Mighty tried to protest, but it was no good; there was nothing he could do.
The driver released the brake, and Mighty Mac puffed onto the turntable.
The turntable started to spin.
Mac's fire started to flare up.
Soon, Mac's fire was going, and the turntable was stopped.
Just as Mac had hoped, Mighty was facing backwards.
"Wait! I'm facing backwards! This will never do!" cried Mighty.
"There's no time!" said the driver, "You'll just have to face backwards for today."
Mighty was furious, but Mac was already backing down onto the coaches at the halt.
The coaches were surprised to see Mighty face them.
"Look at this new face!" said the front coach.
"I can't look. Who is it this time?" asked the brake coach.
"It's...Mighty! What a nice surprise!"
"Indeed." agreed the other coaches.
Mighty was cross, but said nothing.
The guard blew his whistle and waved his green flag and Mighty grew red in the face as Mac hurried away, for Peter Sam had seen Mighty face backwards with a cheeky look.
At Rheneas Station, Rheneas was waiting with some coaches.
"Oh, I see Mighty's facing backwards for a change!" he laughed.
Mac grinned, "Yes, finally. It's nice to be in the front for once."
Mighty blushed just as Sir Handel past by.
"Oh, ha ha! Mighty, you look just like a brakevan!" and he puffed past, feeling pleased with his joke.
Mac smiled; he had finally gotten his revenge, and after that, Mighty tried his best not to tease Mac.