History Characters / TheLittleEngineThatCould

* CanadaEh: Has a bit of a Canadian accent.

* TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers: He's the only diesel engine in a roundhouse full of steam locomotives. Ironically, he was a steam engine in the first editions of the book.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: After refusing to take the birthday train, he disappears from the rest of the film, only being mentioned as having refused to take said train. He's not even at the yard when Tillie sneaks out from it.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: After refusing to take the birthday train, he disappears from the rest of the film, only being mentioned as having refused to take said train. He's not even at the yard when Tillie sneaks out from it.

* HateSink: While he originally seems like a crabby, but ReasonableAuthorityFigure, he cements himself as a rather hateful jerk when he decides to [[YankTheDogsChain yank Tillies chain]] by initially seeming to accept her request to pull the birthday chain, then yells his refusal in her face.

* SkewedPriorities: One of his trains is unable to move, putting things behind schedule. Two of his engines won't bother with the job, and three are unable to do it. Tillie is the only one willing and able to do it, making her his only choice in getting things back on [[{{Pun}} track]]. What does he do? He yells at her for even daring to volunteer, all because he thinks she's too little. All this does is put the train further behind schedule, and what does he do after? He takes a nap!

* NotSoAboveItAll: In spite of being a stiff, he freaks out when Rollo tries to flag him down and makes a valiant attempt to stop. But just as he reaches the clown's position on the tracks and runs into him, he immediately goes back to being annoyed.

The head of the rail yard who assigns the locomotives their tasks. He's concerned with efficiency above all else, and can't stand anyone disobeying him.

The head of the rail yard who assigns the locomotives their tasks, he's concerned with efficiency above all else, and can't stand anyone disobeying him.

-> '''Voiced by:''' Dina Sherman

* HowlingToTheNight: When Tillie refuses to back down, he howls at the moon, warning her she'll be sorry.

* BadassBaritone: Comes with being voiced by [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers Optimus Prime]] [[Creator/PeterCullen himself]].

* AdaptationSpeciesChange: Due to the film taking influence from the 1976 edition illustrated by Ruth Sanderson, Farnsworth is a diesel engine rather than a steam locomotive
like in earlier editions of the book.

* TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers: He's the only diesel engine in a roundhouse full of steam locomotives.

* BreakTheCutie: He starts out as a CheerfulChild thrilled about a potential visit from the "birthday train", but his big sister's taunting of illogicalness of such starts to crush his spirit and him become doubtful himself...not helped by the fact that he reads in his storybook that Tillie gets snowbound and knocked out..during a dark stormy night not less. [[RestoredMyFaithInHumanity Tillie's arrival the next morning restores his pluckiness.]]

* {{Expy}}: He's essentially [[[[WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends The Fat Controller]] when he's at his strictest and coldest to the engines, and without the redeeming qualities.

* {{Catchphrase}}: "It'll come. I know it will. I ''know'' it will.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Despite her mocking of her brother mentioned above, she is pleasantly surprised when the birthday train her brother mentioned turns out to be real and quite happy for her little brother's excitement.

* Catchphrase: "It'll come. I know it will. I ''know'' it will.

* {{Expy}}: She's rather like a [[GenderFlip gender-flip]] of the [[WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends Season 1-2 versions of Thomas and Percy]], being a [[EagerRookie young and tank/switch engine who's eager to prove herself]] [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer but gets looked down upon by the bigger engines]] [[JustAKid for being a small tank/switch engine]]. Tillie's struggles pulling the train up a steep grade could also call to mind [[Recap/ThomasAndFriendsS1E9TroublesomeTrucks James' troubles pulling a freight train up-hill]], ([[SerialEscalation though with the danger factor increased tenfold]]).

* {{Expy}}: He's rather like if someone took [[WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends Henry, Gordon, and James]] (also known as the "Big Engine Trio"), and [[CompositeCharacter put them all into one engine]]. Like them, he's [[TheBigGuy big]], [[Lightning Bruiser strong, fast]], [[{{Jerkass}} grumpy]], and [[ItsAllAboutMe arrogant]].

* {{Expy}}: She's rather like a [[GenderFlip gender-flip]]of the [[WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends Season 1-2 versions of Thomas and Percy]], being a [[EagerRookie young and eager tank/switch engine who's eager to prove herself]] [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer but gets looked down upon by the bigger engines]] [[JustAKid for being a small tank/switch engine]]. Tillie's struggles pulling the train up a steep grade could also call to mind [[Recap/ThomasAndFriendsS1E9TroublesomeTrucks James' troubles pulling a freight train up-hill]], ([[SerialEscalation though with the danger factor increased tenfold]]).

* OddFriendship: With Tillie, a steam locomotive.

* HowlingToTheNight: As the birthday train approaches the mountain, the wolf tells Tillie to turn back, as she's too little. When she refuses to back down, he howls at the moon, warning her she'll be sorry.

* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: While he tries to give Tillie warning about the upcoming dangers of a heavy rainstorm and is sincerely worried about her safety and her train, when the little engine replies that she is going to cross the mountain even despite the warning: the Eagle ruefully gives up and hastily takes flight to get out of the fast approaching risk of the approaching storm, not wanting to stick around in such dangerous weather and conditions. A gust of wind blows him away just as he takes to the air, but he is still facing Tilly with a look of [[MyGreatestFailure pained regret]].