Peter Sam (T&F)/Behind the Scenes

Background Information
In 1994, Peter Sam was introduced in the fourth series of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends. The season 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 viewer 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 to the series 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.

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.

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 in 2009 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 to 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 favor of the large scale model, which would stay under HiT and later Mattel's ownership.

In 2014, 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, his funnel was glued to his smokebox. Peter Sam's side rods were also broken. The model's current location is unknown however a prototype face for Peter Sam has been exhibited at the History of Thomas Event and the Awdry Extravaganza in 2021 and a failed production made cast would be sold by The Prop Gallery in 2023.

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 to run down to use, the wheels, pistons and side rods would be reused and a new chassis block and motor would be built.

Present Day
Peter Sam's model is now currently on display at the Hara Model Railway Museum in Japan. His smiling face was also exhibited at the Awdry Extravaganza in 2021.

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 resembled for use of interior shots if required. In addition, most of the close-up scale models were usually not built as complete models.

Unlike his 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 this 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 have moved and now face around his front windows.
 * Series 11:
 * The top of the funnel is altered and now has a circular hole instead of being a hollow square.

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.
 * His footplate and sandboxes were painted black.
 * He gained a new whistle sound.
 * His trailing wheels are 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 season.
 * 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 near the top of his cab.
 * Series 17:
 * Permanent lamp and lamp irons.
 * 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 become silver.

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

Voice Actors

 * Steven Kynman
 * Shinobu Satouchi
 * Satoshi Katougi
 * Hiroo Sasaki
 * Marios Gavrilis
 * Kai-Henrik Möller
 * Gaute Boris Skjegstad
 * Sigbjørn Solheim
 * Arturo Cataño
 * Gerardo del Valle
 * Omar Carrasco
 * Jordi Estupiñá
 * Grzegorz Drojewski
 * Marek Bocianiak
 * Maksymilian Michasiów
 * Jacek Kopczyński
 * Paul Disbergen
 * Vladimir Antonik
 * Prokhor Chekhovskoy
 * Anton Savenkov
 * Antti L. J. Pääkkönen
 * Tiến Đạt
 * Haris Grigoropoulos
 * Christian Damsgaard