Stepney Gets Lost

"Saving you from scrap is becoming a habit, Stepney. Please stop it." "Yes, Sir! But I have learned something." "What's that?" "There's no place like home!" "And that's exactly where you're going now." "Bluebells forever!"

- The Fat Controller and Stepney

Stepney Gets Lost is the thirteenth episode of the fifth season.

Plot
Stepney is bored on the Bluebell Railway, so he is naturally eager when allowed to help Toby and Mavis at the quarry. However, Stepney's driver forgets the Fat Controller's warnings to be home before nightfall and agrees to take a special train down the branch line.

Toby and Mavis warn Stepney to be careful and Stepney leaves the quarry with the special train. After delivering the train, Stepney then heads home, but takes a wrong turn after fog descends and ends up in the scrapyards. His crew goes for help, but in their absence, two diesels, named 'Arry and Bert, creep up and take him to the smelter shed, where Stepney is shunted underneath a giant grabber.

It looks like the end for the little tank engine, but the Fat Controller arrives in the nick of time and has the grabber shut down. The Fat Controller then sends Stepney back to the Bluebell Railway and Stepney learns that there is no place like home.

Characters

 * Toby
 * Stepney
 * Mavis
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * 'Arry (not named)
 * Bert (does not speak)
 * Rusty (does not speak)
 * Butch (cameo)
 * BoCo (stock footage cameo)

Locations

 * Anopha Quarry
 * Sodor Ironworks
 * Stepney's Shed
 * Stepney's Branch Line
 * The Windmill
 * Skarloey Railway
 * Old Stone Bridge

Trivia

 * Near the end, Stepney says the direct quote, "There's no place like home!" from the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz.
 * Stock footage from Rusty to the Rescue and Double Teething Troubles is used; a deleted scene from the former is used as well. Footage from the latter isn't cut properly, as the line of trucks next to Mavis disappears and BoCo can be seen further in the back.
 * Scrap models of Thomas, Gordon, James, Donald/Douglas and City of Truro are seen at the scrapyard.
 * The load that Cranky drops on Percy from Cranky Bugs is seen at the building site when Stepney drops off his trucks.
 * Big Mickey can be seen in the last scene of the episode.
 * CGI smoke is added in the shot looking down over a beam when Stepney enters the unknown area. Then again smoke is added to the same overhead shot of 'Arry and Bert approaching and when Bert buffers up to Stepney and the following shot after that of the 3 of them.
 * This episode marks Stepney's last speaking role in the US narration until the twelfth season episode, Rosie's Funfair Special, and Stepney's last speaking role in the UK narration to date.

Goofs

 * The camera shot looking over a beam and down at Stepney is differently configured with scattered objects when 'Arry and Bert approach.
 * Throughout this episode, Stepney has Skarloey's whistle sound.
 * In some of the shots of Stepney puffing through the fog, a black box is attached to one side of his cab.
 * When Stepney is asked to take the train, he is dirty, but when he is preparing to take the train, he is clean.
 * When Stepney sets off for home, he is on the same line Henry was on in Haunted Henry. However, Old Bailey's station is not seen. He instead passes a signal box and ends up on a line that leads to the Scrapyards.
 * The opening music is briefly cut off in the US version.
 * When Stepney enters the Scrapyard shed he is actually in the Sodor Ironworks so he is clearly in two different locations around that time of the episode. When Stepney enters the actual Scrapyards, the first section of footage of the Scrapyards isn't scattered with twisted and rusty metal, like a normal scrapyard would, it just seems like a normal yard, but when Stepney stops and the fog clears, he's actually in the Scrapyards.

Quotes
('Arry and Bert approach Stepney) ___________________________________________________________________________________
 * 'Arry: Gotcha this time, Stepney. You'll make very fine scrap indeed! Buffer him, Bert!
 * (Bert does so, and the two diesels take him to the smelters' shed)
 * 'Arry: Bye-bye, Stepney! (laughs in US version)

Stepney: (looks up at the lowering grabber) This engine's not for scrapping!

___________________________________________________________________________________
 * The Fat Controller: It's a good thing I've chosen to visit this yard tonight. Saving you from scrap is becoming a habit, Stepney. Please stop it.
 * Stepney: Yes, Sir! But I have learned something.
 * The Fat Controller: What's that?
 * Stepney: There's no place like home!
 * The Fat Controller: And that's exactly where you're going now.
 * Stepney: Bluebells forever!

Merchandise

 * My Thomas Story Library - Stepney (discontinued)

Home Media Releases
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UK

 * Rescues on the Railways
 * Seasonal Scrapes
 * The Complete Series 5

DVD Boxsets

 * Classic Collection

US

 * Spills and Chills and Other Thomas Thrills
 * Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 5

DVD Packs

 * Totally Thomas Volume 1
 * Spills and Chills and New Friends for Thomas Double Feature

AUS

 * Happy Holidays
 * The Complete Series 5
 * The Best of Thomas and Friends - Volume 1

DVD Packs

 * Complete Series 1-10
 * Classic Collection
 * Series Five and Series Six Double Pack

NZ

 * Spooks and Surprises

NOR

 * Stepney Gets Lost (Norwegian VHS/DVD)

SWE

 * Little Engines Help Out

GR

 * The Trains Have Fun

GER

 * Heroes on Rails

DVD Boxsets

 * Thomas and His Friends Box Set 1

MYS

 * Haunted Henry and Other Thomas Adventures
 * Put Upon Percy and Other Adventures

JPN

 * Look Out! Look Out! A Great Crisis
 * The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 2 Vol.6

PHL

 * Toby's Discovery (Philippine DVD)

DK

 * Thomas and the Ghosts and Other Stories

ITA

 * Time for James

SVN

 * Toby and the Flood (Slovenian DVD)

WAL

 * Fleas and 15 other Stories

THA
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 * Thomas and Friends Volume 12 (Thai DVD)
 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 17 (Thai DVD)