Sam (Thomas and Friends)

Sam is a large American tender engine originating from the Virginian Railway.

Bio
Sam is a super-sized and super-strong locomotive. He came to the Island of Sodor to help Thomas and Percy with the construction of the Sodor Museum. He collected the heavy loads of rails and stone for the museum. He helped Percy and the bell for the museum back on the rails when Percy fell into a ditch. Afterwards, Sam pulled the bell up to the clock tower when Rocky could not. As a reward for his help, Sir Topham Hatt allowed Sam to lead the first group of people into the museum.

Sam and Logan later returned to the Mainland after their work on Sodor was done.

Persona
Hailing from the United States of America, Sam is the largest, strongest steam engine to ever visit the Island of Sodor. With a big heart to match his massive size, Sam is super-strong and will travel far and wide to help an engine in need.

Basis
Sam is based off of the Virginian Railway Class AG, also known as the "Blue Ridge". He shares his number with a member of his class. The engine bearing this number was scrapped in 1960.

Livery
Sam is painted Persian green and black with white lining. He has his name painted near his cab, and "Virginian" painted on his tender in white.

Appearances
Television Series=

Videos
Other Media=
 * 2014 - Welcome to the Island of Sodor Logan! (blueprints only)
 * 2015 - Welcome to the Island of Sodor Sam! (does not speak), A New Friend on Sodor, A Friendly Farewell (does not speak)

Books

 * 2015 - Sam and the Great Bell

Voice Actors

 * Rob Rackstraw (A New Friend on Sodor)

Trivia

 * Sam is one of three merchandise-exclusive characters (the others being Logan and Dustin) with a book tie-in for Wooden Railway "Sodor Story Collection" series.
 * In real life, Sam would be too large for the British loading gauge.
 * At a weight of 389 tonnes (not including his tender), Sam is the largest locomotive ever to come to Sodor.
 * Sam has only been partly modified to work on Sodor. He has buffers on his tender and has been given chain-and-hook couplings, yet lacks buffers on his front. Furthermore, his air brake compressors (normally mounted on the smokebox door) have been removed as have several air brake reservoirs. This may be because the Island of Sodor uses vacuum brakes, in line with normal British practice at the time, but it is more likely that this was done for character design reasons, as the location of the compressors would interfere with the normal placement of Sam's face.
 * Sam's blueprints can be seen in Welcome to the Island of Sodor Logan! as well as his own promotional video.
 * Sam has twenty wheels, the most wheels of any engine on Sodor (thirty-four counting his tender's wheels).
 * Sam's illustrations and CGI model both show him with black wheels, yet his Wooden Railway toy depicts him with green wheels.
 * Sam's CGI model lacks the step ladders used for his crew to enter his cab as well as his number on his front.
 * In some illustrations from his book, his number along with being on his cab sides is also on his front near his cowcatcher. His CGI model only has his number on his cab sides.
 * Sam's basis was built in 1945, the same year the first Railway Series book was published.
 * In the Sam and the Great Bell book, Sam appears to be much thinner than his CGI model.
 * Sam could be a homage to Uncle Sam (a personification of the United States of America).
 * Sam is the first standard gauge articulated locomotive in the franchise.

Merchandise

 * Wooden Railway (limited release)

Sam Sam סם