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Background Information[]
Peter Sam is a fictional narrow gauge tank locomotive working on the Skarloey Railway created by the Rev. W. Awdry. Before joining the Skarloey Railway, he was originally known as Stuart and worked on the Mid Sodor Railway. He carries the No. 4.
He first appeared in The Railway Series book, Four Little Engines, which was published in 1955. His last appearance was in New Little Engine, published in 1996.
Front of Peter Sam/Stuart:
Rear of Peter Sam/Stuart:
In The Thomas Way DVD, the Mr. Perkins segment features a re-illustrated version of the story Trucks! where Peter Sam is depicted in his television series livery.
Peter Sam is based on the Talyllyn Railway No. 4 locomotive, Edward Thomas. The locomotive originally belonged to the Corris Railway. Several historical events that occurred with Edward Thomas were mirrored with his fictional counterpart.
Upon arrival on the Talyllyn Railway it was named Edward Thomas after the former manager of the railway, the person upon whom Peter Sam's namesake (the former manager of the Skarloey Railway) is based on.
The locomotive has also been used by the Talyllyn Railway to represent Peter Sam in real life. Following the success of Sir Haydn's stint as Sir Handel between 1982 and 1984, in 1988 it was decided to repaint Edward Thomas into Peter Sam. A ceremony was held on 14th May 1988, where the Rev. W. Awdry, acting as the "representative" of Sir Handel Brown, handed over "Peter Sam" to the Talyllyn, supported by his son Christopher Awdry and grandson Richard. "Peter Sam" would spend 12 years on the Talyllyn, during which he became involved in a dispute with The Britt Allcroft Company following the launch of Days Out with Thomas, as Allcroft wanted the Talyllyn to pay licensing fees like other heritage railways. In 1993 an agreement was reached and in 1996 "Peter Sam's" visit to the Talyllyn was featured in New Little Engine.
Edward Thomas has been painted red, as Peter Sam, but as of 2010 is running in the standard Talyllyn Railway livery of deep bronze green lined with black borders and yellow lining.
Behind the Scenes[]
Awdry's models[]
In 1974, Wilbert Awdry created a model of Stuart for the third revision of his Mid Sodor Railway layout. The model was built using a Peco James kit on an Arnold 0-6-0 chassis, with the coupling rods shortened to make him an 0-4-2. The smokebox and funnel were sourced from a GEM Prince kit. The model is erroneously fitted with buffers, unlike the rest of the Mid Sodor Railway engines and how the character is depicted in the books. Stuart, alongside Falcon, pulled the Boat Expresses on the layout.
The model of Stuart was donated by Awdry and put on display with the rest of the layout at the Reverend Teddy Boston's Cadeby Light Railway in Cadeby, Leicestershire, before the railway finally closed in 2005.[1] It, and the layout, are now back with the Awdry family.
Awdry also built an OO9 scale model of Peter Sam. Like Stuart, it was also made from a modified PECO James kit. The model is now on display at the Narrow Gauge Museum in Tywyn, Wales, located near the Talyllyn Railway along with the other Skarloey Railway engines and rolling stock.[2]
In 1986, Awdry commissioned OO9 modeller Paul Windle to create new models of Stuart/Peter Sam. These models were scratch-built from plasticard with metal saddle tanks and fitted on modified Minitrix 0-6-0 chassis, with the rear wheels removed. These models are also on display at the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum.
