Stepney (RWS)/Behind the Scenes

The Railway Series
Stepney is a depiction of the real life locomotive of the same name, and his rescue by the Bluebell Railway mirrors how it happened in 1960.

Stepney appeared in the The Railway Series book, Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine, which was published in 1963. While he was not the first real life locomotive to appear in the books, he was the first of two that received their own books when they came to the Island of Sodor, the second being Wilbert.

The Rev W. Awdry originally wrote Stepney into the series as a means of publicising the Bluebell Railway, and encouraging readers to support the fledgling railway preservation movement in the UK.

Front of Stepney:

Awdry's Model
Awdry's model of Stepney was made in 1962 as illustrators' reference for Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine using a K's kit and painted by a friend. Since 1964, the model has been used on the Ffarquhar Branch Layout, pulling enthusiast specials. The model is currently at the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum in Tywyn, Wales.