Stephenson

**Stephenson** is a utility engine who works on the Valleyfields Central Railway. He pulls main line goods trains, as well as passengers and slate trains on the Jackson Heights branch line. Every morning, he collects workmen from San Dowhen to take to the Jackson Heights Slate Quarry.

## Stephenson

### Home

LBSCR (1921-1922)Southern Railway (1923-1942, 1944-1947) GWR (1942-1944) BR (1948-1955)

Valleyfields Central Railway (1955-current)

## Biographical information

### Affliliation

RemembranceEnterprise

Solario

Preston

Wilson

Cameron

Colin

Adam

Quentin

### Relatives

RemembranceTrevithick

Cudworth

Beattie

Stroudley

Hackworth

Thomas

Riley

Rani

Stepney

Preston

Wilson

## Biography

Like his siblings and cousins, Stephenson was built for the LB&SCR, where he spent the first few decades of his working life. He started out as a tank engine like Remembrance did, but when he and some of their siblings were to be converted into tender engines, he was the first to undergo the conversion. He feared that his first journey as a tender engine would go horribly, and it did; he ended up bouncing his crew around at high speed, and they ridiculed him for it. As a result, he was demoted to slower trains, much to Remembrance’s amusement. She often looked down on him, and he disliked her, and Stroudley, because of it. However, when Remembrance’s crew stopped her on the open line for bouncing them about, Stephenson had to come to her rescue. He could see that she’d learned not to be so full of herself, and the two of them had been firm friends ever since.

In 1942, he was transferred to the Great Western Railway, along with Remembrance and Trevithick, to help with the war effort. When the war was over, they returned to the Southern region, but even more troubles awaited him. Not only did he have to witness his siblings get withdrawn and replaced by Bulleid Pacifics, but was also devastated by Trevithick’s train wreck and subsequent withdrawal; this made him so depressed that he actually wanted to be scrapped.

When Remembrance heard that she was to be saved by the VCR, she pleaded for Stephenson to join her. Stephenson refused, not wanting to live without Trevithick, and believing that Remembrance was leaving her family for dead so she could live in paradise. In spite of his persistence, Remembrance took her with him anyway, coupling up to him while he was still asleep. It wasn’t until they arrived the next morning that Stephenson awoke to find his surroundings had changed. He still wasn’t ready to start the new chapter, but he reluctantly changed his mind when Remembrance poured her heart out to him.

After being rescued by the VCR, Stephenson was tasked with pulling Express trains alongside Remembrance. However, this changed when Solario was purchased a few years later; Stephenson would be transferred to the Jackson Heights branch line, where he has worked ever since. He brings workmen to and from the slate Quarry every morning and evening, and collects slate from there to take to the Junction. He was confined to that line for many years, until Remembrance was sent back to the main line. Since then, he has helped out on the Main line every now and then, collecting heavy goods trains bound for the Mainland.

He also pulled a passenger train called the “Valleyfields Flyer”, which was his absolute favourite job. Sadly, he was taken off that service when Remembrance was given her own namesake flyer, and was replaced with Enterprise and Solario. This depressed him once again, and made him resent the A3 twins even more than usual. He would get his chance to pull it again one last time, but only because Rick Brewmeister had mixed up his and Enterprise’s schedules when he was put in charge that morning. Stephenson ended up melting his fusible plug trying to prove that he could pull the train better than his successors, and ground to a halt at the throat of Rupert station. It was only when Enterprise came to his rescue that he was ready to accept the change. Enterprise offered to put in a good word with Mr. Cavendish and Butcher, but Stephenson declined, instead giving his blessing to run it in his place.

## Personality

Stephenson is grumpy, cynical, pessimistic, and sometimes paranoid. He has seen and experienced many hardships throughout his life, which makes it difficult for him to accept the world as it is. He also has a hard time dealing with change, especially when it affects him for the worse. Stephenson often questions how his controllers do business and believes that they care more about their bottom line than what’s best for him and his colleagues. However, he cares deeply about his friends and relatives and will go out of his way to stand up for those he feels is being mistreated, especially Quentin.

## Relationships with other characters

* He and Remembrance have a complicated relationship. While the two of them care for each other and like to have fun together, there are times when they misunderstand each other. Stephenson will often accuse Remembrance of not caring about his feelings or taking sides when he’s down. Remembrance tries to show Stephenson that she *does* care, but struggles to because the latter is too absorbed in his anger to realize that.

* He strongly distrusts Enterprise and Solario. However, he wants to have a good relationship with both of them, but is unable to because of their long history of taking over his jobs. Both engines often fail to take his feelings into account and joke about his cynicism, much to his annoyance.

* He despises Carly and Cobi for their arrogance, and they in turn can’t stand his pessimistic attitude.

* He likes Wilson, but finds himself weirded out by the latter’s constant chattering.

* He looks up to Cameron as a motherly-figure, despite being much older than her. In turn, she offers him emotional support, but also tries to keep him out of trouble.

* He and Preston didn’t get along at first, due to the latter’s dislike of Express engines, but they’ve since become great friends. Their friendship grew even stronger when they were both given the Jackson Heights branch line to run on, although Preston likes to keep Stephenson in order.

* He and Trevithick were the best of friends until Trevithick had an accident that resulted in him being sold for scrap. This devastated Stephenson so much that he became suicidal and hostile. Despite this, he now wears Trevithick’s livery to honour his memory.

## Basis

Like Remembrance, Stephenson was based on an LBSCR 4-6-0 Baltic L tank engine, before being converted to an N15X tender engine in 1934.

## Livery

Stephenson started out in LBSCR green with black and white stripes. After his rebuild, he was painted orange with brown stripes. He retained this livery until he arrived on the Valleyfields Central Railway; he was painted Brunswick Green with white stripes, the same livery Trevithick wore, and he still wears these colours to this day.

## Appearances

* Season 1 - Thomas & Remembrance *(does not speak)*, There's Something About Remembrance *(does not speak)*, Stephenson and the Valleyfields Flyer, Rachelle the High Speed Engine, Remembrance's New Shape, Remembrance and the Great Western Way, Invasion of the Bulleids, Withdrawal, Remembrance Makes a Splash
* Other Media - Engines of the Valleyfields Central Railway *(does not speak)*