Sammy the Shunter

Sammy the Shunter is a fictitious steam locomotive created by Eileen Gibb, featuring in a series of children's books published in the 1940s and 1950s.

Description

Sammy the Shunter is a 2-4-2T locomotive, painted red with green wheels and a yellow dome who lives in the fictional town of Sleeping Sunbury in England. The various books tell of Sammy's adventures all over the world.

Characters

• Sammy is the main character throughout the books. He is a friendly 2-4-2T steam shunter painted red with green wheels, yellow buffers, blue running plates and yellow lining with his nameplate on his sides in yellow. In the first book, Sammy used to be a rusty color and had a number 109846 before being repainted.
• Mr. Buffin is Sammy's driver. He is a kind old man who is seen with Sammy on his adventures. It is mentioned in "Sammy Gets Streamlined" that he was meant to drive the Flying Scotsman but things had gone wrong. Mr. Buffin has a fear of wild animals.
• Mr. Plum is the stationmaster of Sleeping Sunbury station. Mr. Plum is a strict man with a short temper who addressed Sammy by his number in the earlier books, but has a kinder side.

Books

Sammy the Shunter appears in various books.

• Gibb, Eileen (December 1949). Sammy Gets Streamlined. London: Ian Allan. 
• Gibb, Eileen (September 1950). Sammy Goes to the Circus. London: Ian Allan. 
• Gibb, Eileen (1951). Sammy Goes to Sea. London: Ian Allan. 
• Gibb, Eileen (November 1951). Sammy Goes to America. London: Ian Allan. 
• Gibb, Eileen (August 1952). Sammy Goes to Fairyland. London: Ian Allan. 
• Gibb, Eileen (November 1952). Sammy Meets Father Christmas. London: Ian Allan. 
• Gibb, Eileen (February 1953). Billy and the Robbers. Hampton Court: Ian Allan. ^[1]
• Gibb, Eileen (May 1953). Billy Goes Exploring. Hampton Court: Ian Allan. .^[1]
• Gibb, Eileen (July 1953). Sammy Goes to School. London: Ian Allan. ^[2]
• Gibb, Eileen (February 1954). Sammy Sees the Doctor. London: Ian Allan. ^[2]
• Gibb, Eileen (June 1954). Sammy and the Old Engines. London: Ian Allan. 
• Gibb, Eileen (October 1954). Sammy the Shunter Bumper Book. London: Ian Allan. 
• Gibb, Eileen (June 1955). Sammy Joins the Scouts. London: Ian Allan. 
• Gibb, Eileen (1957). Sammy Goes to the Pole. London: Ian Allan. 
• Gibb, Eileen (1959). Tubby the Odd-Job Engine. London: Hulton Press. 
• Gibb, Eileen (1965). Sammy Saves a Railway Line. London: Ian Allan. 

Sammy the Shunter also appears in the stories "The Holiday Train" and "Sammy on the Christmas Tree, featured in:-

• My Trains Book. London: Ian Allan. 1953. 

References