Series 1

"Thomas is a tank engine. He lives at a big station on the Island of Sodor. (Thomas is a tank engine who lives at a big station on the Island of Sodor. - US Narration) He's a cheeky little engine, with six small wheels, a short, stumpy funnel, a short, stumpy boiler, and a short, stumpy dome."​ -The narrator, Thomas and Gordon

The first season of the television series aired in 1984. Ringo Starr narrated all twenty-six episodes in the UK and twenty-five in the US, with George Carlin later re-narrating the entire season for the US on Shining Time Station.

Episodes

 * 1) Thomas and Gordon/Thomas Gets Tricked - Gordon gets revenge on Thomas for teasing him.
 * 2) Edward and Gordon/Edward Helps Out - Edward is let out of the shed and helps Gordon up a hill.
 * 3) The Sad Story of Henry/Come Out, Henry! - Henry stops in a tunnel for fear the rain will spoil his paint and gets bricked in.
 * 4) Edward, Gordon and Henry/Henry to the Rescue - Gordon breaks down and Henry is the only one who can help.
 * 5) Thomas' Train/A Big Day for Thomas - Thomas gets the chance to pull his very own train with surprising results.
 * 6) Thomas and the Trucks/Trouble for Thomas - Thomas learns why trucks are troublesome.
 * 7) Thomas and the Breakdown Train/Thomas Saves the Day - Thomas helps James after an accident.
 * 8) James and the Coaches/James Learns a Lesson - James has a series of misfortunes with top hats and coaches.
 * 9) Troublesome Trucks/Foolish Freight Cars - James is let out of the shed to pull a goods train.
 * 10) James and the Express/A Proud Day for James - James is honoured when he is given the Express.
 * 11) Thomas and the Guard/Thomas and the Conductor - Thomas forgets his guard at the junction.
 * 12) Thomas Goes Fishing - Thomas wants to go fishing, but soon learns why he shouldn't.
 * 13) Thomas, Terence and the Snow/Terence the Tractor - Thomas sticks in a snowdrift and has to be helped by Terence.
 * 14) Thomas and Bertie/Thomas and Bertie's Great Race - Thomas has a race with a cheeky bus named Bertie.
 * 15) Tenders and Turntables - Gordon and James have trouble using the turntable.
 * 16) Trouble in the Shed - The big engines go on strike and so the Fat Controller buys a tank engine named Percy to help.
 * 17) Percy Runs Away - Percy is startled by Gordon and runs away.
 * 18) Coal/Henry's Special Coal - Henry is sick and needs special Welsh coal.
 * 19) The Flying Kipper - Henry has a nasty accident whilst pulling "The Flying Kipper."
 * 20) Whistles and Sneezes - Gordon has problems with his whistle, whilst Henry pays out some boys for dropping stones on him.
 * 21) Toby and the Stout Gentleman/Toby the Tram Engine - The Fat Controller meets a friendly tram engine named Toby.
 * 22) Thomas in Trouble/Thomas Breaks the Rules - Thomas gets in trouble with the police, so Toby comes to help.
 * 23) Dirty Objects/James in a Mess - James gets covered in tar after ironically teasing Toby for being dirty.
 * 24) Off the Rails/Gordon Takes a Dip - Gordon's stubbornness results in him falling into a ditch.
 * 25) Down the Mine - Thomas falls down a mine and only a disgraced Gordon can help.
 * 26) Thomas' Christmas Party - The engines organise a special Christmas party for Mrs. Kyndley.

Characters Introduced

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * Henry
 * Gordon
 * James
 * Percy
 * Toby
 * Annie and Clarabel
 * Henrietta
 * Terence
 * Bertie
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Stephen Hatt
 * Bridget Hatt
 * Mrs. Kyndley
 * The Little Boys
 * The Policeman
 * The Butler
 * Jeremiah Jobling (not named)
 * Lady Hatt (not named; does not speak)
 * Workshop Engines (wheels and buffers only; do not speak)
 * The Stone-dropping Boys (do not speak)
 * The Märklin Engine (cameo)
 * Farmer Finney (cameo)
 * The Storyteller (cameo)

Trivia

 * When first broadcast in 1984 on ITV, two episodes were compiled into one ten minute block with the nameboard sequence featured in between. For repeat broadcasts, the stories were shown individually. They were also shown this way on Cartoon Network, Nick Jr., ABC (Australia) and several VHS compilations.
 * The season took about 9 months to film.
 * The Norwegian, Finnish and early Swedish narrations credit Ringo Starr as the narrator, even though they was re-dubbed in their respective languages.
 * Most of the season's scripts were partially edited for the US versions.
 * In the Ukrainian version, Ringo Starr's voice can be heard in the background.
 * This was the only season of several things:
 * The only season where all the episodes are adapted from the Reverend W. Awdry's stories.
 * The only season to have videos released on Betamax.
 * The only season to have its UK recordings released in the U.S.
 * The only season where lead was used to create the human characters. From the second season onwards, all human characters were made from resin, so they could move around more easily.
 * The only season where the trucks have their faces embedded into their bodies. From the second season onward, the trucks have moulded faces, although some first season style trucks appeared in some episodes of that season.
 * The only model season not filmed at Shepperton Studios. Instead, it was filmed at Clapham Junction in Battersea.
 * The only season to feature Thomas with a realistic brakepipe.
 * The events of Thomas and Gordon, Edward and Gordon, The Sad Story of Henry,Edward, Gordon and Henry, Thomas' Train, Thomas and the Trucks and Thomas and The Breakdown Train which are based on the first two book of The Railway Series The Three Railway Engines and Thomas the Tank Engine were all retold in the 2015 45-minute special The Adventure Begins.