Ben and Bill were introduced in the Railway Series in 1960 , and they made their TV debut in Thomas & Friends in Season 3 with “The Diseasel” in 1990. The books came first, then the television version followed later.

Quick Scoop

  • Book introduction: 1960, in The Twin Engines.
  • TV introduction: 1990, in “The Diseasel”.
  • What they are: twin tank engines working at the China Clay Works on Sodor.

In context

So if you mean their first-ever appearance in the franchise, the answer is 1960. If you mean when most viewers first saw them on screen, it was 1990.

Bottom line

Bill and Ben started as book characters and later became recurring TV characters in Thomas & Friends.