Peter Sam (T&F)/Behind the Scenes

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This is a behind the scenes subpage for Peter Sam (T&F). This subpage contains all behind the scenes material relating to said article.

Background Information

In 1994, Peter Sam was introduced in the fourth series of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends. This series placed a great focus on the narrow gauge characters, with a number of stories from the original books televised. He was first introduced as Stuart on the Mid Sodor Railway and unlike The Railway Series, he kept his dark green colour when he came to the Skarloey Railway. This was done to help make it easier for the viewers to identify the narrow gauge engines, as all Skarloey Railway steam engines were painted red in the Railway Series (except Duke).

After being absent with the other narrow gauge engines for the eighth series, Peter Sam returned in the following series.

When the show transitioned into full CGI in 2009, the narrow gauge engines were absent for three years. Peter Sam later returned in the 2012 special, Blue Mountain Mystery, along with Skarloey, Rheneas, Sir Handel and Rusty. In the CGI series, he is seen frequently working at the Blue Mountain Quarry.

Since his return in 2012, Peter Sam has been voiced by Steven Kynman in both the British English and American English dubs of the series. Steven Kynman gives Peter Sam a Welsh accent, reflecting his basis' origins.

Behind the Scenes

O gauge model (Small scale)

Peter Sam's small model was custom built from brass by model maker, Peter Eves to run on O gauge track to the Gauge 1 Scale Standard during production of the fourth series. It was painted using glossy car body paint and lined with letraline red pin-striping tape. The number and nameplates were custom printed foil stickers. For the episodes taking place on the Mid Sodor Railway, Peter Sam's nameplate was covered with black tape and overlapped with his Stuart nameplate.

Stuart

Peter Sam's wheels were sourced from 10 spoke Wantage Tramway wheels made by Slater's Plastikard. These wheels were used on an O gauge locomotive chassis. All the narrow gauge steam engine side rods were sourced from old OO scale Tri-ang models and modified slightly to fit. These rods did not fit well at all and the engines ran notoriously bad behind the scenes. Throughout the fourth and fifth series, the model had bent side rods. The buffers were sourced from Slater's Plasticard as well, with most engines using the square based short sprung buffers.

The model had a motor to power it mounted inside the chassis, as well as an eye mechanism. Because of the tight size of the chassis, the axle for the rear wheels had to be shaved down in the middle. There was no room to fit a smoke mechanism or the battery and receiver needed for the R/C eyes. Wires connecting to the battery, servo and receiver were usually hidden off camera or carried in behind the engine. The eye mechanism used servos mounted in the cab; the servos were hidden by blacking out the cab doors and windows. Metal rods went from the servos in the cab to a bracket in the smoke box behind the faceplate, one for up and down movement and one for left and right movement. This limited the range of movement of the eyes as well as being cumbersome and jamming often. Although the model did not produce smoke, smoke was released from the set under it. The smoke tended to drift out the funnel to create the illusion as if they do for a brief moment.

The model's undercarriage (plunger pickups are visible) (Note the shaved axle on the rear wheels)

Nearly all drivers and firemen for the small scale locomotives were cut down the middle and black tacked to the engines' cab because the servos for the eye mechanism would not allow them to stand half in the cabs.

Peter Sam's O gauge model (small scale)

Peter Sam and the other narrow gauge engines on display in 1995

The fourth series had episodes revolving around Peter Sam's funnel, in which the character receives a new funnel after an accident. Peter Sam's model had three different funnels which were all removable pieces so it could be easily swapped for the boxier funnel and a clay drainpipe "funnel". The normal funnel was eventually made to be depicted as loose from the smokebox in the episodes Trucks, Home at Last and Special Funnel to depict that it had been damaged from an accident involving trucks. The funnel was later removed for a scene and then replaced with a "drainpipe funnel" and rope in Special Funnel. Peter Sam is then seen with a funnel base that is visible on certain shots from the episode which is made to hold on any one of the three funnels. At the end of Special Funnel, Peter Sam sports the new square funnel, hence the square shape. He was later seen with his old funnel in a brief scene of the fifth series episode, Duncan Gets Spooked.

Peter Sam with his old funnel

Peter Sam's old funnel made loose

Peter Sam missing his funnel

Peter Sam with his "drainpipe funnel"

Peter Sam with his temporary small funnel and his new funnel

Peter Sam's new funnel

Peter Sam has his old funnel again in the fifth series episode, Duncan Gets Spooked

The small scale Peter Sam model was predominantly used in the fourth series. It was used in the fifth series for in between shots where he would interact with the gauge 1 scaled characters and sets. The small scale model then appeared via stock footage in the seventh series episodes, Toby's Windmill and Bulgy Rides Again. In these episodes, Peter Sam has his old funnel.

Stock footage used in Toby's Windmill

Stock footage used in Bulgy Rides Again

The small scale Peter Sam last appeared in the ninth series episode, The Magic Lamp for the scene where Peter Sam meets Harold. This was done because they did not have a large narrow gauge scale Harold, so the big model would have looked severely out of scale. Peter Sam's right side rod was also removed for this appearance for better performance from the model as it would only been seen from the left side in the episode.

Peter Sam's small scale model in the ninth series

Peter Sam was slightly modified in the ninth series. These changes include:

• His paint was given a matte finish.
• His number plate became significantly larger.
• His whistle was painted dark green.
• His cab became opened out instead of blacked-out.
• A head lamp and tail lamp were added.
• His right side rod was removed.

Reference Sheets

Series 4

Faces

Ten different facial expressions were sculpted for Peter Sam and used on-screen. The faces were first sculpted in clay and from that resin casts were made using a silicone mould.

Reference Sheets

Series 4 - 1994 (Alongside Sir Handel's faces)

Series 6 - 2001/2002

Usage and Evolution

Peter Sam's faces

Peter Sam's happy face that appeared in the fourth series... (1994)

...as well as a deleted scene from the fifth series episode, Duncan Gets Spooked (1998)

Peter Sam's smirking face that only appeared in the fourth series... (1994)

...as well as a deleted scene from the fifth series episode, Duncan Gets Spooked (1998)

Peter Sam's wincing/yawning face that only appeared in the fourth series episodes, Granpuff and Trucks (1994)

Peter Sam's shocked face that only appeared in the fourth series episode, Granpuff (1994)

Peter Sam's horrified face that only appeared in the fourth series episode, Granpuff (1994)

Peter Sam's sad/worried face that appeared in both the fourth and fifth series (1994-1998)

Peter Sam's smiling face that only appeared in the fourth series (1994)

Peter Sam's laughing face that only appeared in the fourth series (1994)

Peter Sam's cross face that appeared in both the fourth and fifth series (1994-1998)

Peter Sam's angry face that only appeared in the fourth series episode, You Can't Win (1994)

In a deleted scene from Special Funnel, Peter Sam is seen incorrectly wearing Sir Handel's sad face mask.

Peter Sam with Sir Handel's sad face

Present Day

After production of the model series ended in 2008, most of Peter Sam's faces (except his smiling face) were put into storage, with them being listed as "TF01653".

Nine of Peter Sam's small scale faces taken after the model series ended (circa 2010-early 2011)

Peter Sam's smiling face is currently owned by Twitter and Instagram user OGThomasFan. A prototype face for Peter Sam is currently owned by Twitter user SeansModels. It would be exhibited at The History of Thomas Event as well as the first Awdry Extravaganza Event. Another prototype face with filled in eyes is currently owned by Twitter user Thomas Wooden Railway Models. A failed production made cast of Peter Sam's happy face would be sold by The Prop Gallery in 2023. The rest of Peter Sam's faces are currently still in storage.

Peter Sam's smiling face as owned by Twitter and Instagram user OGThomasFan

A prototype face as owned by Twitter user SeansModels

The prototype face at the History of Thomas Event...

...and at the Awdry Extravaganza in 2021

Another prototype face for Peter Sam with filled in eyes as owned by Twitter user Thomas Wooden Railway Models

A failed production made face cast for Peter Sam prior to being sold on The Prop Gallery (Note: the bubble marks and holes on the cast)

Present Day

After production of the model series wrapped in 2008, most of the models and sets would be put into storage, with some being put on display at Drayton Manor Theme Park. All other models would be logged and referenced from 2010 until early 2011 by HiT Entertainment. From this HiT would decide on which models were to enter storage once again, which would be given to crew members and which would be disposed off. Due to the larger models being more frequently used at the time, Peter Sam's small scale model would be disposed off by the company in favour of the large scale model, which would stay under HiT and later Mattel's ownership.

In 2013, the small scale model of Peter Sam (used in the fourth, fifth and ninth series) wearing his smiling face was sold with a slate truck at Vectis for £2600 to a private buyer, with his funnel being glued to his smokebox. Peter Sam's right side rod was also missing due to it being removed back during the model's refurbishment in the ninth series. 

Peter Sam's model at Vectis before it was sold

Peter Sam's small scale model, with his smiling face and the slate truck, are now owned and preserved by Twitter and Instagram user OGThomasFan. The model was publicly unveiled on the 27th November 2023 at the Museum of the Moving Image, for the premiere of Brannon Carty's documentary, "An Unlikely Fandom". The model would also be featured in the post-credits scene of the documentary, making it the first time the model was used on screen in eighteen years.

Peter Sam's small scale model owned by Twitter and Instagram user OGThomasFan

The model during filming of the post-credits scene for "An Unlikely Fandom"

Peter Sam's small scale model on display at the premiere of "An Unlikely Fandom" at the Museum of the Moving Image in November 2023

Peter Sam's small scale model with Alec Baldwin

O gauge model (Large scale)

For ease of filming and reliability, the fifth series introduced larger-scale versions of the narrow gauge engines and from the sixth-twelfth series, Peter Sam's large model was used exclusively. The larger-scale models were built to a larger scale than the gauge 1 engines and ran on O gauge track. They were close to 16mm scale, but slightly larger.

The model was made from brass. The wheels and chassis were custom machined (CNC). The model was track powered, so pickup contacts were attached to the metal wheels, which ran into the motor to power it. The electricity ran from the track to the wheels/pickup contacts and went into the motor to power him. The model was also fitted with a smoke unit.

During production of the eighth series, Peter Sam and the other large scale narrow gauge models were all fitted with a new chassis, as the original chassis' became too run down to use. The wheels, pistons and side rods would be reused and a new chassis block and motor would be built.

The new chassis under construction during production of the eighth series

The eye mechanism had two servos, one for up and down movement and one for left and right movement. The up/down servo was attached to the body. The left/right servo had a rod attached to the arm, which connected to a bracket. The eye balls were coupled to the bracket and locked in by the face-plate, so whenever the servos were powered, the eye balls would move however the crew member desired.

Peter Sam's O gauge model (large scale)

Filming Duncan Gets Spooked

Filming The Magic Lamp

The large scale model's last appearance in The Man in the Hills

In the ninth series episodes Tuneful Toots and The Magic Lamp, and the twelfth series episode, The Man in the Hills, Peter Sam was seen with a lamp. This was powered by a hidden battery pack.

Peter Sam with a lamp

Peter Sam, Duncan, Freddie and Thomas

In The Magic Lamp, Proteus reused Peter Sam's chassis and green edges can be seen underneath Proteus' bufferbeam and cylinders.

Proteus reuses Peter Sam's chassis

Reference Sheets

Series 8

(Note: His unpainted frames and missing trailing wheels)

Faces

There were ten different facial expressions sculpted for Peter Sam, although only eight were used on-screen and two of which, his wincing and anxious expressions were left unused. The faces were first sculpted in clay and from that resin casts were made of a silicone mould. Two faces appear to be rather similar to the ones used on his small-scale counterpart.

Reference Sheets

Series 6 - 2001/2002 (Note: His unused wincing/sleeping face next to his chuckling face on the top right, and his unused horrified face on the bottom)

Series 12 - 2008 (In black and white) (Page one) (Note: His unused anxious and horrified faces at the bottom left)

Series 12 - 2008 (In black and white) (Page two)

Series 12 - 2008 (In colour)

Usage and Evolution

Peter Sam's faces

Peter Sam's cross face that appeared between the fifth and ninth series, excluding the sixth and eighth series, Jack and the Sodor Construction Company, Thomas and the Magic Railroad and Calling All Engines! (1998, 2003, 2005)

Peter Sam's happy face as it first appeared in the fifth series... (1998)

and later gained some teeth in the Gullane Entertainment era... (2002-2003)

...until it had some of his teeth removed in the ninth series all the way until the end of the model era, excluding the eleventh series and The Great Discovery (2005-2006, 2008)

Peter Sam's shocked face that appeared between the fifth and eleventh series, excluding the sixth, seventh and eighth series, Jack and the Sodor Construction Company, Thomas and the Magic Railroad and Calling All Engines! (1998, 2005-2007)

Peter Sam's unused fifth series sad face that first appeared in a deleted scene from the episode, Duncan Gets Spooked... (1998)

...and appeared on-screen between the sixth and eleventh series, excluding the eighth series, Jack and the Sodor Construction Company and Calling All Engines! (2002-2003, 2005-2007)

Peter Sam's joyful face as it appeared between the sixth and ninth series, excluding the eighth series, Jack and the Sodor Construction Company and Calling All Engines!... (2002-2003, 2005)

...until he had his teeth removed in the tenth series all the way until The Great Discovery (2006-2008)

Peter Sam's worried face that appeared between the seventh and tenth series, excluding the eighth series, Jack and the Sodor Construction Company and Calling All Engines! (2003, 2005-2006)

Peter Sam's smiling face as it first appeared in the seventh series... (2003)

…until he had his teeth removed in the ninth series episode, The Magic Lamp all the way until the eleventh series (2005-2007)

Peter Sam has been mistakenly given Duncan's faces in the eleventh series episode Thomas and the Big Bang, the special The Great Discovery, and the twelfth series episode Duncan and the Hot Air Balloon.

Peter Sam with Duncan's happy face

Present Day

Peter Sam's large scale smiling face would be put on display at the Awdry Extravaganza in 2021.

Peter Sam's smiling face on display at the Awdry Extravaganza in 2021

CGI Face

The twelfth series marked the beginning of the show's transition into CGI and the characters' faces were animated through CGI with the aid of motion capture animation. The physical models' moulded faces were replaced by white targets with triangles to fix a computer-animated face in post-production. Peter Sam's resin faces were only used in background shots.

Peter Sam with a CGI face

Model Changes

Peter Sam's large scale model has had many modifications and changes from its small scale counterpart throughout the television series. These include:

• Series 5:
  • His buffers changed from grey to silver.
  • His eyes and nose became slightly larger.
  • His running board changed shape slightly.
  • His eyebrows changed shape.
• Series 6:
  • His paint was given a matte finish.
  • His buffers were painted black.
  • His whistle became more detailed from Faulty Whistles onwards.
  • Its sound also changed to a muted version of Duncan's whistle.
• Series 7:
  • He shares Duncan's whistle.
• Series 9:
  • Peter Sam had Emily's seventh series whistle sound until the twelfth series. It was also re-used for Freddie.
  • His whistle became taller and changed shape.
  • A permanent tail-lamp was added.
  • His smiling and joyful faces had the teeth removed, but his joyful face was not used on-screen until the tenth series.
• Series 12:
  • His face became smaller.

Present Day

Peter Sam's large scale model is now currently on display at the Hara Model Railway Museum in Japan.

Peter Sam at the Hara Model Railway Museum

A side view of the model whilst on display

A set of spare unused number decals from production of the sixth series for Peter Sam's large scale model are also currently owned by Twitter user TomsProps.

Close-up model

A larger scale model of Peter Sam was built in the fourth series. It was required for scenes where he had to interact with the close-up scale figures. It was also used for close-up whistle and funnel shots; smoke would emit both from the whistle and funnel when required.

The cab was made in pieces so it was able to be dismantled and reassembled for use of interior shots if required. In addition, most of the close-up scale models were usually not built as complete models.

Unlike both his O gauge models, Peter Sam's front and back cutout windows had glass and brass gold porthole rings.

The close-up model of Duke's happy face was also used on the close-up Peter Sam in a shot from Special Funnel.

The close-up model underwent a few changes throughout the television series. These include:

• Series 6:
  • The brass gold porthole rings inside the back of his cab were moved and now face around his front windows.
• Series 11:
  • The top of the funnel was altered and now had a circular hole instead of being a hollow square.

Duke's happy face

Peter Sam's old funnel with Duke's face

Peter Sam's new funnel with Duke's face

Peter Sam's driver and cab

Sir Topham Hatt in Peter Sam's cab

The model during construction

The model with Sir Handel's close-up model

Peter Sam's funnel was removable so it could be switched between his old and new funnel. A "drainpipe funnel" was also made for the model, however, it was never worn on Peter Sam's smokebox on-screen. Furthermore, a broken whistle piece was made for the sixth series episode, Faulty Whistles.

Sir Topham Hatt with Peter Sam's new funnel

The "drainpipe funnel"

The broken whistle

Present Day

After production of the model series ended in 2008, Peter Sam's close-up model was put into storage, and it was listed as "TF00067".

Peter Sam's close-up model after production of the twelfth series ended (circa 2010-early 2011)

Peter Sam's close-up model is currently still in Mattel's storage unit in Southampton, England.

CGI model

In 2009, the series introduced Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) as a replacement for the show's long-standing live-action models. Peter Sam was recreated from scratch in CGI by Nitrogen Studios in 2010 for production of the 2012 special, Blue Mountain Mystery. His model was "hand-sculpted" in Maya, a 3D animation and modelling software.

Photographs of Peter Sam's large scale model were used for referencing. According to Greg Tiernan, every detail of the original television series models for each character is carefully reproduced in the CGI model. The models are subjected to many rounds of review before they are submitted to HiT Entertainment for final input and approval.

In addition, Nitrogen Studios went to the Talyllyn Railway and took measurements of Peter Sam's basis, Edward Thomas, so that his CGI model would resemble Edward Thomas as closely as possible.

Peter Sam has had modifications throughout the CGI era. These include:

• Blue Mountain Mystery:
  • His square funnel was altered to an accurate Giesl Ejector like in the Railway Series.
  • His footplate and sandboxes were painted black.
  • His whistle sound changed to a curving version of Duncan's whistle.
  • His trailing wheels were moved further back.
  • The lower round window on the back of his cab was replaced with two small doors, just like his basis.
  • A handrail was added across the top of his smokebox.
  • His regular one valve whistle was updated to a two valve whistle just like his real counterpart. It also budged up and down until the seventeenth series.
  • His cutout windows gained brass frames and contained glass.
  • His tail lamp changed to a removable Talyllyn-styled lamp.
  • Sanding gear was added.
  • His green livery became more vibrant than it was in the ninth series.
  • Extra lining was added near the top of his cab.
• Series 17:
  • A permanent lamp and lamp irons were added.
  • His filler cap and dome changed from green to black.
• Series 22:
  • The handrail on his smokebox, band at the top of his funnel and sandboxes on his footplate all became silver.

The following pantone colours are used on Peter Sam's CGI model:

• ■ PMS 362 (green)
• ■ PMS 485 (red)
• ■ PMS (black)
• ■ PMS 873 C (gold)
• ■ PMS 877 C (silver)

Promotional image

Promotional image (Head-on)

Final render

Nameplate

Tail-lamp

Whistle

Firebox

Number

Headlamp and lamp irons

Reference Sheets

Peter Sam's 2012-2020 CGI model orthographics sheet

Voice Actors

• Steven Kynman (UK/US; Blue Mountain Mystery - twenty-fourth series)
• Shinobu Satouchi (Japan; fourth - seventh series)
• Satoshi Katougi (Japan; ninth - eleventh series)
• Hiroo Sasaki (Japan; Blue Mountain Mystery - twenty-fourth series)
• Marios Gavrilis (Germany; Blue Mountain Mystery - sixteenth series)
• Kai-Henrik Möller (Germany; seventeenth series onwards)
• Gaute Boris Skjegstad (Norway; Blue Mountain Mystery only)
• Sigbjørn Solheim (Norway; sixteenth - seventeenth series)
• Arturo Cataño (Latin America; Blue Mountain Mystery - twentieth series)
• Gerardo del Valle (Latin America; twenty-third series only)
• Omar Carrasco (Latin America; twenty-fourth series)
• Jordi Estupiñá (Spain)
• Grzegorz Drojewski (Poland; twelfth series only)
• Marek Bocianiak (Poland; Blue Mountain Mystery - eighteenth series)
• Maksymilian Michasiów (Poland; The Great Race onwards)
• Paul Disbergen (The Netherlands)
• Vladimir Antonik (Russia; sixteenth series only)
• Prokhor Chekhovskoy (Russia; seventeenth series - Duncan and the Grumpy Passenger)
• Anton Savenkov (Russia; Samson at Your Service onwards)
• Antti L. J. Pääkkönen (Finland)
• Tiến Đạt (Vietnam)
• Haris Grigoropoulos (Greece)
• Christian Damsgaard (Denmark)
• Wallace Costa (Brazil; eighteenth series only)
• Dado Monteiro (Brazil; twenty-fourth series)