Chapter One: Mike Breaks Down

It was a warm, fall, morning. The sun was starting to come up. Mike yawned sleepily as he got ready for the day's work. He started to stretch his wheels and roll out of his shed, but heard a creak. His driver and fireman walked over to him.

"Hello, Mike. You seem crankier than usual."

"Oh, I don't feel so well. Something's creaking."

"We'll take you on a test drive. We have plenty of time before your first train."

Mike's fireman started to shovel coal into Mike's firebox. Mike's boiler soon began to bubble. Mike began to feel better. He smiled.

Maybe I just need to go out there and do some work.

"Hello, Mike! You look rather jolly today."

Bert chuffed out next to him.

"I am Bert. I heard something creak first, but I think I'll be ok."

"Of course you will. You don't even do anything that's hard!"

"Or tiring!"

Rex came up on Mike's other side.

"I do! I do the heavy work all the time! I take the goods trains, while you two takes the wool and the passengers!"

Bert snorted.

"Ha! 15 trucks are nothing! I bet I can take 20!"

Rex laughed.

"I bet I can take 25!"

Mike's steam pressure was rising and rising. He noticed that and calmed down. It was almost time for his first train, and he didn't want to blow his safety valve, just like the time he got mad at the two, teasing about his whistle.

"Oh, stop. I'll take 30 today."

The two teasing engines gasped.

"30?"

"Yes, Bert. I will. You'll see."

Mike huffed and rolled away to collect ballast hoppers for his first train. All three miniature railway trains knew that 30 trucks were too much. Bert and Rex were worried.

"Mike! You know we were kidding right!"

"Rex, he's too far away. He can't hear us."

"Aw… crap."

Mike was as good as his word. He really coupled up to 30 ballast hoppers. He loaded up and started off. With a huff and a puff, he started to go. He heard the cranking. He heard the creaking. He tried very hard, very very hard. Then, by a miracle, Mike started to move. He was triumphant.

"I'M DOING IT! I'M PULLING 30 TRUCKS!"

Rex heard him and stared. Then he whistled.

"Bert! He's doing it! What the heck!"

Bert looked. He knew that this was very dangerous.

"Mike, stop! It's dangerous!"

"Oh Bert, I'm doing it! Shut up!"

Bert looked at Mike. Then he chuffed away to get the Small Controller.

Meanwhile, Mike pulled 30 trucks through the station. Everyone was cheering for him. Then, they gasped. Mike's couplings rods have burst! It flew off and landed through the window of the ticketing office. CRASH!

"Uh - oh…"

Still, Mike couldn't stop. The trucks were too heavy! The ballast hoppers pushed him all the way up the incline. Donald was waiting under the hopper. He was waiting for Mike to send the ballast hoppers up the incline. He didn't realize that Mike had burst his coupling rods. Bert saw that Mike will fall onto Donald, and yelled.

"DONALD! LOOK OUT! GO FORWARDS!"

Donald heard Bert and rushed forwards. Mike rushed close and closer to the edge of the incline. With a crash, Mike fell into an empty truck. Everyone fell silent. Then, Mike's driver climbed out of the tender. He had scratches, bruises, and a very sooty face. He climbed out and fainted in the truck.

"NOOOOOO!"

Mike screamed. He thought his driver had passed away from the accident. Then Donald's driver climbed out of Donald's cab and walked over. He checked pulse and sighed.

"He's alive Mike. He just fainted."

Mike sighed as well.

"I guess I'll be stuck in the Steamworks for a while."

"Same here. My tender's all dented now."

Bert looked over to Rex.

"Yeah… we shouldn't have teased him."

The two of them went next to Mike.

"Are you okay Mike?"

"Bert, I'm stupid, STUPID, STUPID! Why did I think I can pull 30 trucks, especially with a rattling coupling rod."

The mechanic looked at him and delivered the worst news.

"Yeah… Mr. Fergus Duncan, we have a trouble."

"What is it?"

"You see, it isn't only Douglas's tender and Mike's coupling rods, Mike has quite a bit wrong with him now."

"Tell me everything."

"Very well. His safety valve, regulator, brake valve, valve gear, connecting rod, piston rod, piston, valve, boiler, driving wheels, drive wheels, and his tender. Oh, and the headlight."

Mr. Fergus Duncan thought and sighed. He walked over to Mike.

"Mike, you'll be sent to the Steamworks with Douglas. Bert and Rex, you two will split Mike's work, until a new engine arrives."

Bert gasped.

"A new engine?"

Rex looked at Mike.

"He isn't going to replace Mike, right?"

"No Rex, he'll be a new addition to the railway, not a replacement."

"Oh Mike, We're sorry we teased you."

"I'll be back soon guys. I'm stuck here until the train who collects us come here with Rocky anyways."

Soon, Edward came up with Rocky.

"Hello, Edward. Hello, Rocky."

"Hello, Mike. I'll get you out of here in no time."

Donald was curious.

"Who's taking us to the Steamworks Edward?"

"Oh, I won't ruin the surprise. He's coming here right now."

"Oh… Is it A or S?"

"A."

"What? What do you mean A or S? Both 'Arry and Arthur aren't strong enough to pull both of us! I mean, maybe Hiro, Hank, Murdoch, Henr-… oh…."

All the minimum gauge engines gasped. Even some of the passengers gasped. There, round the bend, was a huge engine. A very big engine. It was Alexander.

"Wow…"

"Mommy, look at that engine!"

"My, he's even bigger than Sam!"

Mike smiled.

"Hello, what's your name?"

"My name is Alexander. I'll pull both of you to the Steamworks in no time."

Mike was put on a flatbed that Alexander brought, and Donald was coupled up in between the flatbed and Alexander. With a mighty blow of his whistle, Alexander took the two damaged engines to the Steamworks.

"Oh Bert, I hope he'll be okay."

"I hope so too Rex. I hope so too."

First chapter! Go check out Chocolate X My Mouth's profile too. He is awesome!