Stepney

* **First Appearance**: Edward Tries His Best
* **Friends**: The Steam Team, Duck, Donald and Douglas, Oliver, Mavis, Rosie, Rusty, Caroline, The Fat Controller
* **Enemies**: 'Arry and Bert, D261
* **Class**: A1X
* **Built**: 1875, rebuilt in 1912
* **Builder**: Brighton Works
* **Designer**: William Stroudley
* **Configuration**: 0-6-0T

**Stepney**, named after a distinct in London, is a tank engine from the Bluebell Railway.

## Bio

Stepney was to be scrapped until Rusty found him at the smelters yard and he was quickly put back in service. Shortly afterwards, Stepney was invited to come and visit the Island of Sodor. When he arrived, Thomas the Tank Engine was jealous as his branch line was no longer "The Pride of the Line", as he put it. Thomas and Stepney soon became firm friends. Stepney was soon invited to leave the Main Line and assist his new friend on his own Ffarquhar Branch Line. Stepney had a run-in with some cricket players, and their one and only ball got lost in one of Stepney's hay wagons. Determined to get their ball back, the cricket players and Caroline the Old Car chased after him! Stepney also helped a rude diesel receive his comeuppance when he gets a bowler hat lodged in his air intake. After shunting him aside, he and Duck take the Diesel's train. Soon afterwards, Stepney went home, but he promised that he would visit again soon.

## Persona

Stepney is a bubbly, honest and humble chap who is busting with enthusiasm. He is very eager to please and is every engine's friend. Even if an engine might not like him at first, his personality wins them over. After being saved from scrap by Rust and the Bluebell Railway, he now runs his own branch line, but loves visiting and helping out on the Fat Controller's Railway. He has an enthusiasm for learning and listening to advice, as well as keeping busy. Stepney can feel down in the dumps if he does not get enough work to do or if he does not get a good long run to stretch his wheels. Stepney is high-spirited, lively and is keen to see fair play. He is popular amongst the engines and is always game for more work.

## Livery

Stepney is painted in the LB&SCR goldenrod livery, formally known as "Stroudley's Improved Engine Green", with green, red, white and black lining. His name is painted on his side tanks and the number "55" is painted on the sides of his bunker, both in white.

## Appearances

* Season 1 - Edward Tries His Best and Rusty Rescue (*cameo*)
* Season 2 - Jealous James (*mentioned*)

Specials:

* The Great Storm of Sodor

## Trivia

* Stepney is, as of 29th March 2014, withdrawn from service, following the failure of his main steam pipe. He was repainted from his British Railways black livery with red lining, which replicates that which he carried upon his arrival at the Bluebell Railway in May 1960. He now carries his original London, Brighton and South Coast Railway "Improved Engine Green Livery". A future overhaul has not been entirely ruled out.
* Stepney has had several whistles. He had Rheneas' whistle sound during most of his appearances in the fourth season, he had Duke's whistle sound in one scene in Thomas and Stepney, and he had Smudger's whistle sound in the episode's US narration. In the fifth-seventh seasons, he shared the same whistle sound with Skarloey. Then in Rosie's Funfair Special, it became Thomas' at one half-step higher in pitch.