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Never-seen-before Thomas & Friends pilot voiced by Ringo Starr revealed for 80th anniversary

00:37

Never-before-seen 1983 Thomas & Friends pilot voiced by Ringo Starr revealed

A never-before-seen pilot of Thomas & Friends, featuring the iconic narration of The Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, has been released to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the tank engine franchise.

The 1983 episode, called "Down The Mine," appeared online on Friday evening (9 May).

"Fans have been asking for a long time, I'm really interested to see how they react," said producer Ian McCue.

Thomas the Tank Engine was originally a character in The Railway Series books by Reverend Wilbert Awdry and later his son, Christopher.

The pilot was shot on 35mm film and has been digitally updated.

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