The Thin Controller

This article is about 'the Railway Series characters'. You may be looking for 'the TV series character, the steam engine, the magazine story or the Story Library book'.

So far, there have been at least four controllers who have managed the Skarloey Railway in the Railway Series.

Mr. Mack

Mr. Mack, The Thin Controller
Background Information
First Appearance	Very Old Engines (RWS)
Last Appearance	Sodor: Reading Between the Lines (RWS)
Creator(s)	Rev W. Awdry
Character Overview
Name	Mr. Mack
Nickname(s)	The Thin Controller
Gender	Male
Country of Origin	Island of Sodor
Affiliation	Skarloey Railway
Biographical Background
Occupation	Railway controller (formerly)

Mr. Mack was the first manager of the Skarloey Railway. It is unknown who succeeded him when he retired.

Biography

The Railway Series

He did not know much about engines' feelings and after failing time and time again to steam Skarloey, he lost patience and covered him up with a tarpaulin. Later, while travelling on Skarloey, he was knocked into a bush after he closed Skarloey's regulator too quickly and he rode in Beatrice for the remainder of the journey. However, Mr. Mack did gain patience after he brought Mr. Bobbie to be Skarloey's driver. He then arranged for Skarloey to have an extra set of wheels and be rebuilt with a cab.

Personality

Mr. Mack did not know much about an engines' feelings and did not have the proper patience to steam an engine. However, he did gain patience after he brought Mr. Bobbie to be Skarloey's driver.

Appearances

• Railway Series

The Railway Series

• Very Old Engines - Crosspatch, Bucking Bronco and Stick-in-the-Mud (does not speak)

Companion Volumes

• 1970 - Twelve Happy Engines (not named; mentioned)
• 1996 - Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection
• 2005 - Sodor: Reading Between the Lines (not named; mentioned)

Mr. Robert Sam

Mr. Robert Sam, The Thin Controller
Background Information
First Appearance	The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways (RWS)
Last Appearance	Sodor: Reading Between the Lines (RWS)
Creator(s)	Rev W. Awdry George Awdry
Character Overview
Name	Mr. Robert Sam
Nickname(s)	The Thin Controller
Gender	Male
Country of Origin	Island of Sodor
Affiliation	Skarloey Railway
Biographical Background
Born	1881
Died	1971
Occupation	Railway controller (formerly)
Years Active	1936-1951
Children	Peter Sam
Relative(s)	Beatrice (sister)

Mr. Robert Sam (1881-1971) was Sir Handel Brown's General Manager of the Skarloey Railway.

Biography

The Railway Series

Having joined the Company at the age of 16 in 1897, he took over as General Manager in 1936 and for some time before Brown's death in 1950 ran the railway with the line's Foreman, Mr David Hugh. This continued for a little while in 1951, until Robert stepped down in favour of his only son, Peter.

He had several sisters, including one named Beatrice, who was the great-grandmother of Nancy.

He died in 1971 at the age of 90 years old.

Appearances

• Railway Series

The Railway Series

Companion Volumes

• 1987 - The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways (mentioned)
• 2005 - Sodor: Reading Between the Lines (mentioned)

Trivia

• Mr Robert Sam is based on Mr Edward Thomas, the Talyllyn Railway's last General Manager before preservation and namesake of No. 4.

Mr. Peter Sam

Mr. Peter Sam, The Thin Controller
Background Information
First Appearance	Four Little Engines (RWS)
Last Appearance	Sodor: Reading Between the Lines (RWS)
Creator(s)	Rev W. Awdry
Character Overview
Name	Mr. Peter Sam
Nickname(s)	The Thin Controller
Gender	Male
Country of Origin	Island of Sodor
Affiliation	Skarloey Railway
Biographical Background
Born	1915
Occupation	Railway controller (formerly)
Years Active	1951-1980
Parents	Mr. Robert Sam
Children	Roger Sam

Mr. Peter Sam (1915-) was the former controller of the Skarloey Railway. He succeeded his father, Mr Robert Sam, in 1951 and was hired by the new owner, Sir Handel Lloyd Brown. Like his father, he spent his entire working life on the Skarloey Railway.

Biography

The Railway Series

He was first hired as Rheneas' driver when the railway was facing hard times and he also served as a guard for all of the trains. When Stuart and Falcon were purchased by the Skarloey Railway, Stuart was renamed Peter Sam in his honour. He then attended Skarloey and Rheneas' hundredth birthday and invited Sir Robert Norramby, the Duke of Sodor. In 1959, Mr. Peter Sam found an old saloon coach in a garden at Harwick. When he retired in 1980, he was succeeded by his son, Roger Sam.

Personality

Mr Peter Sam was rather strict and reprimanded engines whenever they would get into trouble; Sir Handel was most impressed by this. He was firm, but fair and once jokingly threatened to take Sir Handel to pieces when he pretended to be ill so he would not have to take part in the television event of Skarloey's 95th birthday. However, Duncan thought that the Thin Controller only picked on him.

Appearances

• Railway Series

The Railway Series Four Little Engines - Sir Handel and Old Faithful (does not speak) The Little Old Engine - Trucks!, Home at Last (not seen) and Little Old Twins Gallant Old Engine - Special Funnel (not seen) and Gallant Old Engine (does not speak) Mountain Engines - Bad Look-Out (mentioned) Very Old Engines - Duck and Dukes Small Railway Engines (mentioned in foreword) Duke the Lost Engine - Granpuff (mentioned) and Sleeping Beauty (mentioned) Companion Volumes 1970 - Twelve Happy Engines (mentioned) 1976 - Famous Engines 1987 - The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways (mentioned) 1995 - The Thomas the Tank Engine Man (mentioned) 1996 - Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection 2005 - Sodor: Reading Between the Lines (mentioned)

Trivia

• Mr Peter Sam is based on Tom Rolt, the Talyllyn Railway's first General Manager following preservation.

Mr. Roger Sam

Mr. Roger Sam, The Thin Controller
Background Information
First Appearance	Great Little Engines (RWS)
Last Appearance	Thomas the Tank Engine: The New Collection (RWS)
Creator(s)	Christopher Awdry
Character Overview
Name	Mr. Roger Sam
Nickname(s)	The Thin Controller
Gender	Male
Country of Origin	Island of Sodor
Affiliation	Skarloey Railway
Biographical Background
Born	1948
Occupation	Railway controller
Years Active	1980-present
Parents	Mr. Peter Sam

Mr. Roger Sam (1948-) is the current controller of the Skarloey Railway.

Biography

The Railway Series

After ten years of acting as assistant manager, he took over the role of his father in 1980 with the unanimous approval of the Skarloey Railway Board.

In 1982, he chose Sir Handel to visit the Talyllyn Railway to help while Talyllyn was being mended. He later arranged for another engine to be built and help out with the additional traffic that had come to the railway line over the years. He named the engine, Ivo Hugh, after the railway's former foreman.

When Sir Handel broke his fire-bars loose on purpose, Mr. Roger Sam sent him to the shed and he awaited for repairs. However, Sir Handel thought that Mr. Roger Sam had locked him in the shed in disgrace and longed to be let out. When the Thin Controller finally came to see Sir Handel, he was quick to confess that he damaged his fire-bars on purpose. The Thin Controller, thinking quickly, thanked Sir Handel for admitting his mistake and arranged for him to receive some new fire-bars. However, he neglected to tell him that they had only been delivered that morning.

Appearances

• Railway Series

The Railway Series

• Great Little Engines - Patience is a Virtue and Peter Sam and the Prickly Problem (mentioned)
• New Little Engine - Speedkiller (not seen; does not speak), Sir Handel's Plan and I Name this Engine...

Companion Volumes

• 1987 - The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways (mentioned)
• 2005 - Sodor: Reading Between the Lines (mentioned)
• 2007 - Thomas the Tank Engine: The New Collection

In the Television Series

Main Article: Mr. Percival

In the television series, the role of the controller of the Skarloey Railway was first taken by Sir Topham Hatt in the fourth series and continued until the seventh. In the ninth series, Mr Peregrine Percival became the second controller of the Skarloey Railway. He was hired to help Sir Topham Hatt manage the ever-increasing size of his railway industry. Like the controllers in the Railway Series, Mr Percival is nicknamed the Thin Controller. The Thin Controller's attire and physical appearance in the 1979 annual may have been the inspiration for Mr. Percival, as they both have the same hairstyle and wear the same clothing and bowler hat.

Gallery

The Railway Series

Main Series

Mr. Mack and Skarloey

Mr. Peter Sam scolds Sir Handel the first time

Mr. Peter Sam notices Skarloey pulling Agnes, Ruth, Lucy, Jemima and Beatrice bravely in

Mr. Peter Sam, Mr. Hugh, Skarloey and Rheneas

Mr. Peter Sam scolds Sir Handel the second time

Mr. Roger Sam and Sir Handel

Miscellaneous

Mr. Peter Sam in an annual

Others

Mr. Mack in the My Thomas Story Library series

Mr. Peter Sam in the My Thomas Story Library series

References

Skarloey Railway

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* RWS only | ** T&F only