15/10/2026
How interesting! I am sure there are a few of us who can remember this momentous occasion! 🚂😎
The engines were real working models, filmed on proper miniature railway sets with tracks, stations, tunnels and scenery. That made Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends so distinctive.
The show first aired on ITV on 9th October, 1984 and quickly became one of Britain’s best-loved children’s programmes. It was based on The Railway Series books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry, and the television version gave the Island of Sodor a very distinctive look from the start.
The engines were physical models rather than cartoons, with different faces fitted to show whether they were happy, cross, worried or surprised. Their eyes could move too, and the trains themselves ran along the tracks in real time.
The human characters were handled differently. Figures such as the Fat Controller, the drivers and station staff were static models, and when one of them needed to move, the production used stop-motion animation, shifting the figure a tiny amount between each frame. The same method was used for some of the animals and other small movements.
That mix of real model trains, miniature scenery, steam effects and stop-motion helped make Sodor feel like a proper little railway world rather than just a children’s set.
Britt Allcroft, the creator of the television series, chose Ringo Starr as the first narrator after hearing his warm, gentle voice in a television interview. His calm delivery became a big part of those early episodes and suited the stories perfectly.
The show also worked because each of the main characters had such a clear personality, so children quickly learned who was who and what sort of trouble they were likely to get into.
Thomas
Cheeky, eager and always keen to prove himself. He could be impatient and get things wrong, but usually wanted to do the right thing.
Gordon
Big, proud and very sure of his own importance. He loved pulling the express and often looked down on the smaller engines.
Edward
Older, calmer and much more sensible than most of the others. He was kind, dependable and often helped the younger engines.
Henry
Sensitive and sometimes fussy, especially when it came to his appearance. He famously refused to come out of a tunnel because he was worried the rain would spoil his paint.
James
Vain, proud and very fond of looking smart in his red paint. He could be boastful, but he was still one of the most likeable characters.
Percy
Small, cheerful and often a little naive. He regularly found himself in trouble but remained one of Thomas’s closest friends.
The Fat Controller
Strict but fair, and always there to keep the railway running properly. He was the one who had to deal with the engines when their pride or bad behaviour got the better of them.
What made Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends so good was how simple and well put together it was. The stories were easy to follow, the characters were memorable, and the programme never needed to be loud or complicated to keep children interested.
The models, the voices, the railway setting and the little lessons about friendship, pride, hard work and mistakes all fitted together really well.
Who was your favourite character?
