The Thin Controller (RWS)

Mr. Mack, Mr. Robert Sam, Mr. Peter Sam and Mr. Roger Sam are all known as The Thin Controller and managed the Skarloey Railway.

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
Railway Series=

The Railway Series

 * Very Old Engines - Crosspatch, Bucking Bronco and Stick-in-the-Mud

Companion Volumes

 * 1970 - Twelve Happy Engines
 * 1996 - Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection
 * 2005 - Sodor: Reading Between the Lines

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
Railway Series=

Companion Volumes

 * 1987 - The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways
 * 2005 - Sodor: Reading Between the Lines

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 (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
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.

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= {{Scroll box|

The Railway Series

 * Four Little Engines - Sir Handel and Old Faithful
 * The Little Old Engine - Trucks!, Home at Last and Little Old Twins
 * Gallant Old Engine - Special Funnel and Gallant Old Engine
 * Mountain Engines - Bad Look-Out
 * Very Old Engines - Duck and Dukes
 * Small Railway Engines
 * Duke the Lost Engine - Granpuff and Sleeping Beauty

Companion Volumes
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 * 1970 - Twelve Happy Engines
 * 1976 - Famous Engines
 * 1987 - The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways
 * 1995 - The Thomas the Tank Engine Man
 * 1996 - Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection
 * 2005 - Sodor: Reading Between the Lines

Trivia

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

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
Railway Series=

The Railway Series

 * Great Little Engines - Patience is a Virtue and Peter Sam and the Prickly Problem
 * New Little Engine - Speedkiller, Sir Handel's Plan and I Name this Engine...

Companion Volumes

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