What is the real name of the Thin Controller in the TV series?

The Thin Controller’s real name in the Thomas & Friends television series is Mr. Percival.

He is also identified more fully as Mr. Peregrine Percival and manages the Skarloey Railway, the narrow-gauge line serving Sodor’s mountain district. His formal title distinguishes him from Sir Topham Hatt, the better-known Fat Controller of the North Western Railway.

Mr. Percival first appeared in the television series in “Mighty Mac,” from Series 9, which introduced the twin engines Mighty and Mac. He is commonly shown wearing a bowler hat and glasses and is often associated with his bicycle.

A frequent mix-up comes from The Railway Series books, where different controllers held the Thin Controller role, including Mr. Peter Sam. The television character’s name is therefore Mr. Percival, while “The Narrow Gauge Controller” is the name often used in the American version.