| This article is about The Railway Series characters. You may be looking for 'the steam engine' and other uses. |
In The Railway Series, there have been several managers of the Skarloey Railway.
Mr. Mack and Mr. Robert Sam were referred to as The Manager during their respective tenures. While Mr. Peter Sam and Mr. Roger Sam were affectionately known as The Thin Controller by engines and railway staff alike.
Mr. Mack
Mr. Mack was the first manager of the Skarloey Railway. It is unknown who succeeded him when he retired.
Biography
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
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)
Trivia
- Mr. Mack was never officially referred to as "The Thin Controller" in any of his appearances.
- In Crosspatch, Mr. Mack is seen reading a book called "How Engines Work".
Mr. Robert Sam
Mr. Robert Sam (1881-1971) was Sir Handel Brown's General Manager of the Skarloey Railway.
Biography
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
The Railway Series
Companion Volumes
- 1987 - The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways (mentioned)
- 2005 - Sodor: Reading Between the Lines (mentioned)
Official Description
From Official Media:[1]
| “ | Robert Sam (1881-1971): Mr Robert Sam was Sir Handel Brown's General Manager of the Skarloey Railway, having joined the Company at the age of 16 in 1897. He took over as General Manager in 1936 and for some time before Sir Handel (1)'s death in 1950 he ran the railway with the line's Foreman, Mr David Hugh. This continued for a while after 1950, until Robert stepped down in favour of his son Peter, The Thin Controller (1). | ” |
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. Robert Sam was never officially referred to as "The Thin Controller" in any of his appearances.
Mr. Peter Sam
Mr. Peter Sam (1915-unknown date) 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
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 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.
As of today, he has most likely passed away.
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
The Railway Series
Companion Volumes
|
Thomas & Friends
Videos |
Books
|
Official Description
From Official Media:[1]
| “ | The Thin Controller (1) (b1915): Mr Peter Sam was born in 1915, the only son of Robert Sam. Having, like his father, spent his entire working life with the Skarloey Railway, he took over from his father as General Manager in 1951: he is the Thin Controller referred to in all stories except those in Great Little Engines and New Little Engine, having retired in 1980. | ” |
Trivia
- Mr. Peter Sam is based on Tom Rolt, the Talyllyn Railway's first General Manager following preservation.[2]
- Despite not officially appearing in the Thomas & Friends television series, Mr. Peter Sam is mentioned several times in the fourth series, although unnamed and referred to as "The Manager", even though Sir Topham Hatt was shown as the controller of the Skarloey Railway.
- In the Buzz Books adaptation of Four Little Engines, he is first mentioned as "The Thin Controller".
- Mr. Percival, the Thin Controller introduced in the ninth series of the Thomas & Friends television series was primarily based Mr. Peter Sam. His name was most likely changed in the Thomas & Friends television series to avoid confusion with the engine of the same name.
- Mr. Peter Sam'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.
- In the US dub of Mr. Perkins Storytime, Mr. Peter Sam is erroneously referred to as Mr. Percival.
Mr. Roger Sam
Mr. Roger Sam (1948-) is the current controller of the Skarloey Railway.
Biography
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
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
Official Description
From Official Media:[1]
| “ | The Thin Controller (2) (b1948): Peter Sam's son Roger, who had been acting as Assistant Manager since 1970, was unanimously accepted by the Skarloey Railway Board as his father's successor, and has continued to foster the links formed by his father with the Talyllyn Railway in Wales. He was instrumental in persuading the Board that a new engine was required, and personally suggested its name to honour another employee, Ivo Hugh and the faithful service that he had given to the railway. | ” |
References
| Locomotives | Steam | Skarloey | Rheneas | Sir Handel | Peter Sam | Duncan | Ivo Hugh | Duke |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | Rusty | Fred | | |
| Other | Ivo's Flying Bedstead | Skarloey Funicular Railway Cars | |
| Rolling Stock | Passenger | Agnes, Ruth, Jemima, Lucy and Beatrice | Ada, Jane and Mabel | Cora | Gertrude and Millicent | Saloon Coaches | Quarrymen's Coaches |
| Goods | Slate Trucks | Open End Door Wagons | Plank Trucks | V-Tipper Wagons | Side Tipping Wagons | Mineral Wagons | Vans | |
| People | The Owner (Sir Handel Brown I, Sir Handel Brown II) | The Thin Controller (Mr. Mack, Mr. Robert Sam, Mr. Peter Sam, Mr. Roger Sam) | Mr. Hugh (David Hugh I, Ivo Hugh, David Hugh II) | |
| Infrastructure | Stations | Crovan's Gate | Cros-ny-Cuirn | Glennock | Rheneas | Lakeside | Skarloey |
| Sheds | Skarloey Railway Engine Sheds | |
| Tunnels and Bridges | Rheneas Bridge | Rheneas Tunnel | Rheneas Viaduct | |