A maroon tank engine with six wheels opened his eyes inside Arlesdale Works. Falcon watched on with excitement.
"Hullo, Albert!" he exclaimed. "Welcome to Mid Sodor! I'm Falcon, it's so nice to meet you!"
The engine didn't say anything. Falcon was puzzled.
"Uh, hullo? Everything ok?" he asked. The engine still didn't speak. "Ok, maybe you don't get it: your name is Albert. That's why I called you that. It's written on your side tanks too." Still the engine said nothing.
"Perhaps," suggested the manager, "you're being too quick with him."
The engine didn't say anything: just gave a look that spoke of confusion.
"Well," said the Manager, "I am the manager of this railway, you can call me Mr. Carlin if you wish. Welcome to the Mid Sodor! I am the one who commissioned our workshops to build you, and I'm pleased to say, it's an honour to have you here. Your name is Albert, after two of our previous engines, one of which is the late brother of Falcon here."
The engine said nothing, but did open his mouth. Then closed it again.
"Is everything ok, Albert?" asked the Manager. The engine still didn't say anything.
"Maybe he's deaf," suggested Falcon. "Sure sounds like he can't hear…" A growl interrupted him: it had come from Albert.
"Oh, he can hear!" said Falcon with relief, though this was quickly replaced by guilt. "Sorry about assuming you couldn't hear." The engine sighed, but still said nothing.
"I think he's forgiven you already," said the Manager. "Even so, if he's not deaf, why can't he speak?"
"Perhaps," suggested the foreman, "he's simply unable to: I've heard of people being born unable to speak. Maybe this Albert is the same."
"Unable to speak or not, at least he can work," Falcon put in. "Come on, I'll show you the ropes."
Albert gave a little smile: it seemed, like all engines, he was eager to get to work.
The tank engine already had steam up, so there was no need to worry about that. Wanting the first job Albert did to be something simple, the Manager assigned him to take the Picnic. Duke had no issues with this, and Falcon had asked to double-head the train with Albert.
"Hullo, new one" said Stuart, who had arrived with the Boat Train. "I am Stuart. And from those large, golden letters on your tanks, I assume you're Albert." Albert said nothing, Stuart frowned in response. "Uh, is everything ok?" he asked.
"Everything's fine, Stuart," said Falcon. "However, for reasons we most likely will never know, Albert is unable to speak."
"Oh dear! That's sure to make communication difficult!" Stuart exclaimed.
"Communication aside," said Falcon, "he's still going to be useful, I can feel it."
"You think so? As useful as sliding down the Mountain Road?" asked Stuart cheekily.
"Probably not as much as having to be rescued by Granpuff," Falcon retorted.
Albert just listened in confusion. He decided it was time to get going. With this in mind, he quickly gave Falcon a bump.
"OOF! Easy, Albert!" exclaimed Falcon. "A bump like that could easily break something!"
Albert hissed.
"Alright, alright, we'll go!" snorted Falcon. "Honestly, feels like you're trying to, uh…I don't know what word I'm looking for!"
The two engines set off for Arlesburgh light engine.
While they were travelling, Duke was speaking to the saloons that were to be used on the Picnic.
"A new engine will be travelling with you today," he told him. "He's just recently been finished, so I don't want you being too hard on him: even if he bumps you, try to be patient. If I find out you've been too hard on him, I'll make sure you never live it down. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes Duke," said the saloons nervously.
After what seemed like hours, Falcon and Albert both arrived. The first thing Albert saw was Mighty and Mac up to their usual shenanigans.
"What did you say about me running like a goose?"
"I didn't say that! I said you are as rough with passengers as a mating bull!"
"You take that back!"
"Make me, buster!"
Mighty pushed Mac straight into some buffers, knocking some teeth out. Mac paid him back, and the fight continued.
"Ignore them," said Falcon, as they pulled into the station, where Duke waited.
"Nice to see you at last, Albert," said Duke. "My name is Duke, after His Grace, the Duke of Sodor. It's an honour to be working alongside you. You can call me Granpuff if you wish." Albert said nothing. "I see we have a shy one with us," Duke remarked.
"Actually, Granpuff," said Falcon, "Albert's not shy: he's mute."
"Mute?! My lord!" Duke exclaimed in shock.
"Surely, being mute doesn't make him any less useful!" Falcon scolded.
"You're right, it doesn't," Duke admitted. "I just…don't know how our passengers will feel."
"Our passengers, or you?" asked Falcon sternly.
Duke found he couldn't answer: it was a good question, he had to admit. All the same, was he really concerned about the passengers, or just himself?
"My apologies," said Duke at last. "Anyway, Albert, the Picnic stops at every station, but also makes a few request stops where people can get out and enjoy their meals. It departs at 11:01 and arrives at King Orry's Bridge at 1:14. Falcon will be travelling with you on this run, he'll tell you all I've taught him."
"Thank you, Granpuff," said Falcon. He was about to ask something else, but Albert began gagging. "My lord! You ok Albert?!" Falcon asked in concern.
"I think that's his way of saying he needs water," said Albert's driver. "His water level is rather low."
"In that case," said Duke, "there's a water tower nearby. You can go fill up there."
Albert was quick to steam on over to it, leaving Duke and Falcon with each other.
"You seem to be worried about something," Duke said. "Is it concerning Albert?"
"Not just Albert," said Falcon. "I'm afraid of what Stanley will do."
"Yes, I can definitely see that," snorted Duke. "He'll no doubt try to take advantage of Albert's inability to speak. You best keep an eye on him, both if it can be possible."
Stanley's new boiler had arrived in 1923 and was back to work soon after. Though he had stopped his self-driving, the other engines still didn't trust him, particularly after he had refused to help Tim when he broke down.
When Albert's tanks were full, he coupled up to Falcon, who had backed down onto the Saloons.
"A little too rough there," said Falcon. "Coaches need to be treated gently, too rough and they'll pay you out."
People began crowding around Albert, eager to get the photo and number of the railway's new number 5. Falcon began to suspect Albert was getting nervous, his worries confirmed when the Maroon Engine began wheeshing steam everywhere.
"Alright, alright, time to board," said the guard. The passengers did so and Albert gave a sigh of relief.
"No worries: they won't always crowd around you like that," said Falcon reassuringly. "They're just excited to meet you, that's all."
When the time came, the guard blew his whistle. Falcon and Albert set off along the line.
It was a rather smooth run: the sun was shining, the birds were singing, and everybody was having a happy day. They met many of the other engines along the way, all of them pleasant to Albert. Except one.
"Well well well, look who we have here," Stanley barked when they arrived at Marthwaite. Falcon was not having it.
"Piss off, Stanley. Or I throw you into the sea," he warned.
"Pisshaw!" scoffed Stanley. "Manager wouldn't let you do that."
"Oh really? Because last I checked, he threatened to do that to you if you didn't agree to start behaving."
"That was only a bluff!" snorted Stanley.
"And what proof do you have that it was?" asked Falcon. "As far as I'm concerned, he has every reason to toss you into the ocean, since you can't be trusted to not go off without a crew."
"Some first impression you're making on the newbie," said Stanley.
"At least it's a better one than yours!" Falcon snapped.
The guard blew his whistle at that moment, and Falcon and Albert set off once more.
"Pay Stanley no heed," Falcon said to Albert. "He's a bully who thinks he's better than all of us. You best stay away from him, he might try to take advantage of the fact you're mute if he learns about it."
Unknown to him, Stanley overheard.
"So this new engine's mute, huh? Oh boy, this will be fun."
The Baldwin would soon find otherwise: Falcon would always find a way to make sure Albert and Stanley couldn't meet, with help from the Manager of course. Over the next few days, Stanley found it impossible to meet up with Albert, and it didn't take him long to figure out why.
"What right does Falcon have to keep me from making new friends!" he shouted one night in the sheds.
"The right to stop you from influencing him," Duke answered. "We all know what you're like."
"Well he doesn't," snorted Stanley.
"But Falcon does," warned Duke. "He won't take kindly to you taking advantage of Albert's disability, all along of he feels a special connection."
Stanley said nothing: secretly, he began making plans to get Falcon out of the way.
The next morning, Albert was put onto the Parliamentary. He liked this run: the passengers on this train didn't give him any attention. Falcon, meanwhile, waited at the Port for Stuart to arrive with the Boat Train from Peel Godred.
Suddenly, there was a bump and he found himself being pushed against a pair of buffers!
"OOF! What's going on?!"
"What's going on, buster, is you trying to stop me from getting close to the new engine."
Falcon looked back, seeing Stanley pushing him against the buffers.
"I should've known you'd do something like this," snorted Falcon. "Albert needs a positive influence, not a bullying self-driver like you."
"You won't call me anything insulting!" Stanley shouted, pushing Falcon against the buffers even more. "If you don't apologise and agree to stop me from meeting him…"
"I…never…WILL!" groaned Falcon, holding his brakes hard on.
"Very well, you brought this…" He was interrupted, as somebody coupled onto him. Suddenly, without warning, Stanley found himself being dragged away from Falcon!
"Hey! What's going on?! Help, help! I'm being kidnapped!"
Everything happened at once: Stanley was pushed hard at a fast speed until he crashed through another pair of buffers! Falcon looked at the scene, and gasped: the pusher had been Albert, parked behind Stanley with an angry look on his face. The blue saddle-tank was at a loss for words.
"What the hell?! Albert?! Impossible, I'm bigger than you!" Stanley complained. "You can't push me around!"
"Oh, but it looks like he can," said the Manager. "I thought I'd been clear you were to stop your self-driving, but it seems you did it once again. Honestly, Stanley, it's not that hard to use your brain: none of this would've happened if you hadn't been such a bully."
Stanley harrumphed, but the Manager spoke again.
"Since you clearly can't be trusted, you'll be stuck on Mine Trains once more. And to think I was going to give you a chance to actually pull a passenger train. Not anymore! From now on, it's mine trains and only mine trains." He then turned to Albert. "As for you, I'll admit, under normal circumstances, I wouldn't approve of your actions. That said, your quick-thinking saved a worse fate from happening to Falcon."
"Here here!" agreed Falcon.
"I'm proud of you Albert," said the Manager. "You've definitely proven yourself a worthy addition to this railway."
Albert gave a smile. He blew his whistle, and Falcon tooted his in response.
Falcon would remain protective of Albert, that couldn't be changed. However, from that day onwards, he no longer felt a need to worry about him: after all, the Maroon Tank was more than capable of holding his own. While he wouldn't really change his ways, Stanley wisely decided it was best to stay away from Albert: he now knew what a mute engine was capable of. Even so…
"Why should I be made to suffer just because these engines can't see the value of self-driving? They all say I'm not showing any benefits, other than being able to stop when you become a runaway. Well they're wrong: I've proven that self-driving allows you to pick your own train. Not only that, it also means you don't need to wait for a crew to come light you up. And I did want to befriend this new engine, make him my partner, but no! They all just judge me wrong! Well, I won't stop. Albert is young and impressionable, and I can and will prevent those idiots from making him another one of them. Then they'll all see how great it is to be a self-driving independent machine!"
"And how exactly can you fill up on coal and water without a crew?" Duke asked. Stanley froze: he hadn't realised Duke had been sitting outside of the goods shed he was in, listening to his soliloquy.
"I will figure it out, or carry a crew for that only. Now fuck off and leave me alone!"
Duke knew there was no point in saying anything to Stanley. Well, there was one thing.
"You best be careful, youngster," he warned. "You keep this attitude up and one day, you'll reach the brink of no return. The only way the rest of us will see benefits to being able to drive yourself is if you start showing us these benefits, and you won't do that if you keep carrying on like this: a vindictive, arrogant bully of an engine. Start changing your ways if you want to stay."
Duke steamed back to the engine shed after that, leaving Stanley to brood.
That day of no return was approaching fast. But it was still years away. Stanley decided Duke didn't know what he was talking about, this Baldwin was determined not to be stopped…