‘Peter Sam’ from the Rev Wilbert Awdry’s Skarloey Railway is returning to Talyllyn Railway on June 2 when he will be hosting a very special party.

Called ‘Peter Sam’s Party’, the event will include brake van rides with Peter Sam at Abergynolwyn Station and special shuttle trains between Abergynolwyn and Nant Gwernol hauled by another visitor from the Isle of Sodor, Rusty the diesel.

At Abergynolwyn, there will be miniature train rides, a puppet theatre, craft activities, a treasure hunt, badge-making, face painting and balloon modelling. There will also be activities in and around Tywyn Wharf Station, as well as a ‘Spot Peter Sam’ competition along the length of the railway. In addition,there will be other visitors from the Skarloey Railway who will add to the fun and delight children of all ages.

The party will begin with a special train from Tywyn Wharf Station at 9.50 am, and other trains will be running throughout the day. Normal fares will apply.

Great family food will be on offer all day in King’s Licensed Café from breakfast to afternoon tea at Tywyn Wharf Station and light refreshments are available in the Quarryman’s Caban Tea Room at Abergynolwyn Station.

It was Tom Rolt, one of the pioneers of Talyllyn Railway and himself a well-known author, who originally suggested to the Rev. Awdry that he should think about writing a series of stories in his famous ‘Railway Series’ that featured Talyllyn’s locomotives.

The upshot of this was that Talyllyn’s locomotives Talyllyn, Dolgoch, Sir Haydn, Edward Thomas, Douglas, Midlander and Tom Rolt were all eventually incorporated into his books as Skarloey, Rheneas, Sir Handel, Peter Sam, Duncan, Rusty and Ivo Hugh.