November 19, 1929

Freddie sighed as he looked at the desolate Aluminium Works from his track. It was closed now, its windows and doors boarded up. "What happened to this place?" he asked mournfully. "It seems like only yesterday it was so full of life, and now..."

"You can blame the Americans for that," Wattson muttered as he approached the smaller engine, his black paint now adorned with striking red trim. "Last August their stupid spending habits finally got the better of them, and their economy's been in shambles ever since. All over the world people are losing money, and it looks like the Aluminium Works was no exception."

Freddie sighed. "I'm going to need a new job, aren't I?" He breathed in. "No matter. I won't give up so easily. There has to be a place that needs an engine like me somewhere on this island."

"Well, it certainly ain't on the NWR," Wattson remarked. "You're not exactly the right gauge for our rails. Maybe you should try your luck on the MSR."

"Worth a shot. Thanks, Wattson." And off he puffed.

Wattson grumbled to himself once the tank engine was out of earshot. "You're not the only one who's upset the Aluminium Works is gone, Freddie. We big engines just lost one of our main sources of cash." And he hummed off to his next job, whatever that might be.

"Ah, Frederick! What brings you here?" Duke asked, surprised to see Freddie so far from home.

"Well, Duke, the Aluminium Works is closed, as you know."

"I do. It's a real shame, we got some good contracts from that place."

"And now I'm in need of new employment. Is there any room here?"

"Unfortunately, no. We've got a tight budget as it is, and I don't think we can afford another engine."

Freddie sighed. "I see."

"Cheer up, Frederick. There's bound to be another railway that needs someone." There was a crash in the distance. "And if Smudger gets taken out of service, that could very well be us, so we'll give you a shout if we reconsider."

Smudger scowled as a Cowans Sheldon 30 ton breakdown crane loaded him onto Eagle's flatbed. "I don't need to go to the stinkin' Steamworks! I'm fine!"

"No, you most definitely are not," Albert replied, eying Smudger's dented cab. "That hit might've knocked a few screws loose."

"Implying that he didn't have a few screws loose already," Jerry smirked.

"You're absolutely wicked, Jerry, and I love it."

Freddie looked at Eagle's train, and then he had an idea. "Oh! Eagle, can you give me a ride to the Steamworks? I'd like to know if they're in need of a new engine, seeing that I'm currently out of a job."

"I dunno, Freddie," Eagle replied. "I think Proteus can manage it just fine by himself."

"Well, there'd be no harm in asking, would there?"

"I don't think so. Jerome, would you be so kind as to load Freddie onto the other flatbed?"

"Certainly," said the crane.

"Sorry, Freddie, but we don't need another engine here," said the manager of the Steamworks.

"I see."

"I'll tell you what we DO need," Proteus muttered. "Another engine on Skarloey. I can't keep running back and forth from here to there every time their workload gets too much for Skarloey and Rheneas to handle by themselves."

Freddie grinned. "That's a BRILLIANT idea, Proteus! If I go to the Skarloey Railway, then you don't have to rush about as much, I get a job, and the engines there already don't have to work themselves to death! Can anyone call Mr. Brown for me?"

"I'd be honored to have you on my fleet, Freddie," Brown said that night. "I've already asked the Aluminium Works if they're willing to part with your contract to them, and they've agreed to sell it to me for a very low price. Welcome aboard."

After he left, Skarloey smiled at Freddie. "Well, Freddie, you certainly were fearless today," he said. "Many people I know would've given up after their first failure."

"This is no time to give up," Freddie replied curtly. "We need to pull ourselves together if we're going to survive this crisis."

"Couldn't have said it any better myself," Rheneas agreed.

Over at Tidmouth, Edward sighed. "Well, I don't want to be the engine who said 'I told you so', but I did predict this very outcome many years ago."

"Shove off, Ed," Alfred grumbled. "The important engines have to get their sleep." And he did exactly that.

Edward shook his head to the best of his ability. "I swear, Alfred needs to be properly disciplined, and fast. It's only a matter of time before his out-of-control ego hurts someone."