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Plarail Stepney (1999)

First written June 17, 2024

Stepney is a tank engine on the real-life Bluebell Railway. He features as a visiting engine in the Thomas the Tank Engine television show and the Railway Series books it is based on.

Plarail Stepney (1999)

Plarail Stepney (プラレールステップニー) was released on May 1st, 1999 and was the first new character in the Thomas series of Plarail trains to be released in 1999. The three-pack release includes Stepney with a troublesome truck and a newly-tooled brake van.

Stepney uses the Thomas AA drive unit and a similar chassis to the six-wheel Thomas with a sprung middle wheel that holds the body shell in place. This September 2001 example came from a 1999 print box.

The troublesome truck included is the "mischievous" type. The brake van is a very nice new tooling with slatted sides and a subtly-painted deck and roof.

The brake van chassis is marked 1999 with the old curvy Tomy logo. The chassis of trucks from earlier Stepneys are the 1999 version with a short rim around the screw with the old chassis tooling. Later examples like the 2001 version shown above come with the early 2000s new 1996 dated tooling with centered text and taller screw rim.

4797 Stepney (Tomica World) (2002)

In 2002 the first Stepneys were exported in red and blue 2001-style Thomas Tomica World packaging for the European market. In 2003 Stepney was rereleased for Europe in the Thomas Motor Road & Rail range.

T-14 Plarail Stepney (Updated rerelease) (2003)

In 2003 the Thomas Plarail range was revamped and earlier characters were given updated detailing and were rereleased in the T series of boxes. Shown above is a 2003 print run box Stepney that was filled in June 2004 and sold at some point after. The rear of the box still shows the old axleboxless type of brakevan.

Stepney was mostly unchanged externally in this rerelease, although his chassis and both of the trucks were updated with the new Tomy logo.

The brakevan tooling was also updated with axleboxes around this time.

Stepney's T-14 designation was replaced by T-14 Plarail Hiro in 2011, and Stepney went out of production.

4797 Stepney (Thomas Motor Road & Rail) (2003)

In 2003 updated Stepneys were exported in blue Thomas Motor Road & Rail packaging for the European market. A new box style was introduced in 2005 and used until 2008 when Stepney was released as part of the U.K. Tomy TrackMaster range.

4896 Stepney with Track (Thomas Motorized Road & Rail) (2005)

In 2005 Stepney was released in the United States for the first time as part of the Motorized Road & Rail range with a mischievous truck and four half straight rails.