Stepney Gets Lost

**Stepney Gets Lost** is the twentieth episode of the fifth season and the 129th episode overall.

## Plot

One autumn morning, the Bluebell Railway manager comes to tell Stepney that Captain Baxter has stated that he is in need of change. Because of this, he is having Stepney return to Sodor to help Toby and Mavis at their quarry for the day with demand factors being high. The manager warns Stepney that it is easy to get lost and to be back before the next morning. Stepney arrives at the quarry and is really enjoying himself and Mavis and Toby are impressed with his hard work, no matter how dusty he becomes. The quarry foreman asks Stepney's crew if they would like to take the night special to a building section on the Peel Godred branch line. The driver agrees to take the train, but Stepney thinks that they should have asked the Fat Controller first.

As night falls, Toby and Mavis warn Stepney to be careful and Stepney leaves the quarry with the special train. He arrives on time with his delivery to Cronk Abbey station and then sets off for Peel Godred station, to find a turntable so they can set off back to the Mainland. But on the way, the fog comes down and makes everything look spooky. Stepney's driver notices a signal at green and thinks that someone has been expecting them, except no-one has. The points ahead are set in the wrong direction, but Stepney does not realise this and makes a wrong turn, ending up in an unknown area. The driver decides to rest until the fog clears. Stepney hears strange sounds and soon the fog slowly lifts revealing that they are in the Ironworks, behind the station. Stepney's crew go for help and leave Stepney all alone, but not for long as two diesel engines called 'Arry and Bert approach him saying that he will make very fine scrap indeed. Bert buffers up to him and they take Stepney to a large smelter's shed and secure him under a huge grabber, intending to scrap him.

Stepney pleads he is not to be scrapped, but ‘Arry and Bert weren’t listening. But the Fat Controller catches 'Arry and Bert in the act and he demands an explanation. 'Arry and Bert say they don’t get many engines to be scrapped anymore, so they were “just doing their job”. The Fat Controller tells them that the engine they were about to melt down, comes from a railway on the Mainland and that he's only here on a visit. The Fat Controller apologises to Stepney for their behaviour and Stepney then tells him that he learned that there is no place like home, which is where he is going now. Stepney then leaves Sodor, while declaring "Bluebells Forever!"

## Characters

* Toby
* Mavis
* Stepney
* 'Arry and Bert
* The Fat Controller
* Captain Baxter *(mentioned)*

## Locations

Island of Sodor:

* Ffarquhar Quarry
* Abbey
* Hawin Lake Station
* Kirk Machan Viaduct
* Sodor Ironworks
* Vicarstown Bridge
* Peel Godred *(mentioned)*

The Mainland:

* Bluebell Railway
* Sheffield Park

## Trivia

* This episode marks the official introduction of 'Arry and Bert in the series. However, 'Arry is not referred to by name and Bert does not have a speaking role. Plus, this also marks the final appearance of Stepney in the series so far.
* The dialogue during the Ironworks scene where 'Arry and Bert take Stepney to the shed is different compared to the official TV Series version of the episode. It was changed to follow the arc of Stepney visiting the Fat Controller's Railway, since he is from the Mainland, in which 'Arry and Bert didn't know about and were willing to scrap any steamies they could find.