Sam

"Howdy, I'm Sam!"

- Sam, A New Friend on Sodor

   Sam    Sam is a large American tender engine.
 * Number: 906
 * Class: Virginian Railroad Blue Ridge Class
 * Builder: Lima Locomotive Works
 * Build date: Circa 1945
 * Configuration: 2-6-6-6

Bio
Sam is a super-sized and super-strong locomotive. He came to the Island of Sodor to help Thomas and Percy with the construction of the Sodor Museum. He collected the heavy loads of rails and stone for the museum. He helped Percy and the bell for the museum back on the rails when Percy fell into a ditch. Afterwards, Sam pulled the bell up to the clock tower when Rocky could not. As a reward for his help, Sir Topham Hatt allowed Sam to lead the first group of people into the museum.

Basis
Sam is based off of the Virginian Railway's Blue Ridge 2-6-6-6 class. He shares his number with a member of his class. The engine containing this number was scrapped in 1960.

Livery
Sam is painted persian green and black. He has his name painted near his cab, and "Virginian" painted on his tender in white.

Books

 * Sam and the Great Bell

Videos

 * Welcome to the Island of Sodor Sam! (does not speak)
 * A New Friend on Sodor

Voice Actors

 * Rob Rackstraw (A New Friend on Sodor)

Trivia

 * Sam is the first articulated steam locomotive on Sodor. However Hank's original design was also an articulated engine.
 * Sam is a merchandise-exclusive character with a book tie-in for Wooden Railway's "Sodor Story Collection" series.
 * In real-life, Sam would be too large for the British loading gauge.
 * At a weight of 389 tons (not including a tender), Sam is the largest locomotive on Sodor.
 * Sam has only been partly modified to work on Sodor. He has buffers on his tender and has been given screwlink couplings, yet lacks buffers on his front.
 * Sam's blueprints can be seen in Welcome to the Island of Sodor Logan! as well as his own promotional video.
 * Sam has twenty wheels, the most wheels of any engine on Sodor (not counting tender wheels).
 * Sam's whistle is actually Samson's whistle at a slightly higher pitch.
 * Sam's illustrations and CGI model both show him with black wheels, yet his Wooden Railway model depicts him with green wheels.
 * Sam is the first engine introduced since Arthur to remain lettered for the railway he had come from while operating on Sodor.

Merchandise

 * Wooden Railway