Bluebell and Primrose

"They were very pleased when our controller gave them names. Some say he was wrong to do it, it certainly made them cocky. But they do work hard, and I think our controller was right. All engines ought to have names!"

- Stepney, Stepney's Special, Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine

 Railway Series=   Bluebell and Primrose    Bluebell and Primrose are tank engine twins who live on the Bluebell Railway.
 * Numbers: 323, formerly 1178, S1178, 31178 (Bluebell), 27, formerly 5027, A27, 1027, 31027 (Primrose)
 * Class: SE&CR P class
 * Designer: Harry S. Wainwright
 * Builder: Ashford Works
 * Built: 1910
 * Configuration: 0-6-0T

Bio
According to Stepney, they had no names at first so their Controller gave them names. He says it made them over-confident, but they still work hard.

At present, Bluebell is in service after an overhaul, returning in time for the Branch Line Weekend in March 2011; whilst Primrose is out of service awaiting an overhaul.

Basis
Bluebell and Primrose are based upon the real Bluebell and Primrose, members of the South Eastern & Chatham Railway P Class built from 1909-1910 for lightweight passenger trains and later used for shunting.

Livery
Primrose, and Bluebell in her Railway Series appearance, is painted dark green with red and yellow lining. She has "SE&CR" written on the sides of her tanks and the number "27" written on the sides of her bunker in yellow.

Bluebell was painted blue with white lining with red nameplates with her name in gold when she was first acquired by the Bluebell Railway. In 1998, she was repainted in the livery she carried in World War I. As of March 2011, Bluebell is currently in a variant of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway pre-war livery, but with blue instead of green and "Bluebell" written in gold letters instead of "SE&CR".

Railway Series

 * Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine - Stepney's Special (do not speak)

Trivia

 * Despite not having faces, Bluebell and Primrose were the first female steam engines to be introduced in the Railway Series.
 * Of the two engines, only Bluebell is currently operational. Primrose is undergoing restoration.
 * Bluebell's ERTL toy was in fact Thomas' toy merely repainted and with a different smokebox. She was originally going to have her own toy. This prototype had a crew member leaning out of her door. This would have been the only ERTL toy to have this feature.
 * Bluebell only carried the name "Bluebell' while in her blue livery.
 * On the back of ERTL Bluebell's box, It says she is a LBSC E2 Class instead of a SE&CR P Class.

Merchandise

 * ERTL (Bluebell only; discontinued)