Stepney

## Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine

### Family

Thomas and Birch Grove (cousins), Boxhill (brother), Fenchurch (sister)**Fanfic:** Winifred Rodham (mother), unnamed father (deceased), Celine Billinton (cousin), Arthur and Louise Rodham (maternal grandparents), Rowan Billinton (uncle by marriage), Aurelia Billinton (maternal aunt), Olivia and Oswald Billinton (first cousins, once removed)

### Friends

Percy, James, Gordon, Edward, Henry, Emily, Rebecca, Nia, Toby, Sir Topham Hatt, Duck, Bill and Ben, Timothy, Rosie, Stanley, Ryan, Sonny, Diesel, Daisy, Salty, Porter, Paxton, Sidney, Philip, Victor, Skarloey and Rheneas, Whiff, Marion, Skiff, Hiro, Kenji, Mavis, Annie and Clarabel, Terence, Bertie, Bulgy, Cleo, Ruth, Donald and Douglas, Cranky, Carly, Judy and Jerome, Billy, Elizabeth, George, Peter Sam, Dash and Bash, Ferdinand, Harvey, Millie, Luke, Stephen, Glynn, Shane, Aubrey and Aiden, Tamika, Ace. Isla, Spencer, Henrietta, Hugo, Rocky, Harold, Flynn, Captain, Butch, Belle, Nelson, Jack, Alfie, Oliver, Max and Monty, Kelly, Byron, Ned, Isobelle, Patrick, Brenda, Buster, Darcy, Kevin, Oliver, Ashima, Rajiv, Noor Jehan, Shankar, Charubala, Lorenzo, Beppe, Gina, Stefano, Ester, Gabriela, Gustavo, Raul, Marcia and Marcio, Fernando, Hank, Sam, Gator, Norman and Dennis, Hong-Mei, Yong Bao, An-An and Yin-Long, Den, Dart, Beau, Toad, Duchess, Lexi, Theo, Hurricane, Merlin, Frankie, Beresford, Caitlin, Connor, Ferdinand, Bash and Dash, Emerson, Lei, Natalie, Cassia, 'Arry and Bert, Rex, Mike**Fanfic:** Ten Cents, Sunshine, Theodore, Emily, Hercules, Big Mac, Warrior, Grampus, O.J., Top Hat, Big Mickey, Sally, Boomer, Frank and Eddie, Oliver, Foduck, The Dispatcher, Izzy Gomez, Captain Star, Captain Zero, Zak, Zorran, Zebedee, Zip, Zug, Mighty Mo, Lucy, Phillip and Filmore, Hank, George

### Likes

Working on the Bluebell Railway, living in the Island of Sodor

### Dislikes

'Arry and Bert tried to scrapping him, stranded in the scrapyard

## Character's Bio

### Nicknames

Stepney the "Bluebell" EngineThe Bluebell Engine

### Birthdate

December 21, 1875 (built)October 1912 (rebuilt)

15th July 1958 (fanfic, as a human)

## Physical Apearance

### Species

Tank engine (books and cartoon)Human (fanfic)

### Eye Colour

Black (books and cartoon)Turquoise blue (fanfic, as a human)

### Complexion

LB&SCR goldenrod with green, red, white and black lining (books and cartoon)Pale (fanfic, as a human)

### Status

Alive

**Stepney** is one of *Thomas & Friends* and *The Railway Series* characters. He was a goldenrod tank engine that was named Stepney, a district in London, England who lives and works on the Bluebell Railway. He's also Thomas' cousin and Boxhill and Fenchurch's brother. His friendly, enthusiastic attitude makes him a welcome visitor on Sir Topham Hatt's railway.

In the *Railway Series*, Stepney lives on the Mainland and works on the Bluebell Railway. In *Thomas & Friends*, Stepney works on a Sudrian branch line neighbouring the Skarloey Railway, also known as the "Bluebell Railway".

In the fanfic, *The Secret & Dearest Life of Everything in Sodor*, Stepney's surname was Rodham, which was sharing with an American politician, Hillary Clinton, whose maiden name that was used.

## Biography

### *The Railway Series*

tepney was built at Brighton Works in Brighton, England in 1875 as an LB&SCR A1 class engine and later rebuilt as an A1X in 1912. He arrived on the Bluebell Railway on 17th May 1960, after the railway's founder Bernard Holden MBE helped to save the line for preservation. Stepney was the first engine to be rescued by the Bluebell Railway.

In 1962, Stepney came on loan to Sodor and worked briefly with Duck at Tidmouth before working on Thomas' Branch Line, which during the time he caught a cricket ball in one of his trucks while passing the Elsbridge Cricket Field. Towards the end of his stay, he returned to Tidmouth and on his last day double-headed the Express with Duck after Class 40 had failed.

### *Thomas & Friends*

Stepney was stranded on a siding in the scrapyard at the Vicarstown Goods Depot where Rusty found him and helped arrange for him to be put back into service. He now runs the Bluebell Branch Line. He later traveled a long distance away from his railway to Sir Topham Hatt's railway as a visitor after getting tired of travelling on his branch line.

Stepney later wanted to have a change from his branch line and he was sent back to Sir Topham Hatt's railway (again on a visiting basis) to help Toby and Mavis at Anopha Quarry. This excursion nearly ended in disaster after 'Arry and Bert tried to scrap Stepney, luckily without success, after Stepney accidentally ventured into the Sodor Ironworks.

For a long time afterwards, Stepney had little actual contact or involvement with Sir Topham Hatt's railway. On a few occasions during the sixth series, he can be seen helping out with the other engines while he visited the North Western Railway. He can briefly be seen helping the other engines out by delivering trucks filled with flowers while the stations prepared for the Most Beautiful Station competition. A short time later, a hot air balloon was flying across the island and Duck accidentally ran into him due to gazing up at it. After he helped Edward with the running of The Loop Line, Stepney had virtually disappeared (not counting his stock footage appearances in the seventh series) until a while later, when he was hit by a truck full of sugar in an incident caused by Rosie. He has not been seen in the television series since.

## Personality

Stepney is a bubbly, modest and humble chap who is bursting with enthusiasm. He is very eager to please and is every engine's friend. When given a job to do, he is determined to complete it to the best of his ability. Even if an engine might not like him at first, his personality wins them over. After being saved from scrap by Rusty 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. Unlike most of Sodor's engines, Stepney loves to work with trucks.

## Technical Details

### Real-Life History

Stepney was built by Brighton Works in 1875 and was rebuilt into an A1X in 1912. During his last working years, Stepney worked on the Hayling Island branch line, until he was taken out of service in 1960 and placed on an out-of-use siding. He was bought by the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society and arrived on the railway on 17th May, making him the first standard gauge steam locomotive in the United Kingdom to be preserved.

Since his first appearance in the *Railway Series* and *Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends*, Stepney has become one of the most popular engines on the railway, with children all across the country coming to see him. Stepney has even participated in "Day Out with Thomas" events and has carried a face for these events.

Stepney was taken out of service in 2008, after his boiler ticket expired; but underwent a fast-track overhaul and returned to working order in 2010, just in time for the line's 50th Anniversary. In March 2014, Stepney was withdrawn from service following the failure of his main steam pipe. As of 2020, whilst he awaits to go into the workshop for new cylinders and significant work on his frames and boiler, Stepney is currently on display inside the Bluebell Railway's new 'Steam Works!' shed complete with his signature face from the former "Day Out with Thomas" events.

## Physical Appearance

### Livery

Stepney is painted in LB&SCR goldenrod, 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. The real Stepney has a brass funnel top and brass number plates with a blue ground. He carries two builder's plates on the sides of his splashers.

In 2010, he was painted in "Bluebell Black". On 14th January 2012, Stepney made an "only-morning" appearance in BR Lined Black with "cycling lion" crest and his BR number, 32655, for a special photographic charter. He carried the same BR Lined Black livery again on 17th April 2012 for another photographic charter; this time though with the later "ferret and dartboard" crest. He returned to "Bluebell Black" in time for his visit to the National Railway Museum's "Railfest" in the first week of June 2012.

As of August 2014, he has returned to his famous "Improved Engine Green" livery, officially being released to the public in May 2015.

In some promotional artwork and television series tie-in book illustrations, he is seen often wearing the express headcode lamps.

### Fanfic

As a human, Stepney has pale skin tone, golden brown hair and turquoise blue eyes. He wears a goldenrod jacket with green and white lining on each lapel and his white number 55 was on the left side, white shirt, black necktie, a pair of goldenrod trousers and brown shoes.

## Fanfics

The Secret & Deaarest Life of Everything in Sodor

Stepney appears as a human in the fanfic, he lives in the village of Elsbridge in the island of Sodor with his widowed mother Winifred and maternal grandparents, Arthur and Louise. He subsequently visits his cousins, Celine and Thomas, aunt Aurelia and uncle Rowan at their resident home in Ffarquhar.

In the second series, Stepney, his mother and grandparents are coming to Ffarquhar to visit the Billinton. Percy, James and their families were all inviting for a dinner.