History YMMV / TheLittleEngineThatCould

* FanNickname: The Little Engine in the 2011 film, [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep who is called simply "Little Engine"]] is given the name Tracy by fans, which helps to set her apart from Tillie, [[LegacyCharacter the original Little Engine]]. The other engines in the 2011 film were also given names, Shiny Passenger Engine is called Minerva, The Nightmare Train is named Cerberus, Red Engine is named Shelbert, Big Locomotive is named Rodrick, Freight Train is named Humphrey, and Girl Train is named Mary.

** The Nightmare Train is voiced in this film by Creator/RayPorter. A few years later, he would get to voice the ultimate nightmare of the DC Universe, ComicBook/{{Darkseid}} himself, for ''Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague''.
** This wouldn't be the last time Creator/BrendaSong [[WesternAnimation/Amphibia appears in an animated project about a kid who gets stuck in a non-human world]] (with Creator/WhoopiGoldberg no less). Only this time as the kid instead of the non-human onlooker.

* HilariousInHindsight: The Nightmare Train is voiced in this film by Creator/RayPorter. A few years later, he would get to voice the ultimate nightmare of the DC Universe, ComicBook/{{Darkseid}} himself, for ''Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague''.

* FanNickname: The Little Engine in the 2011 film, [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep who is called simply "Little Engine"]] is given the name Tracy by fans, which helps to set her apart from Tillie, [[LegacyCharacter the original Little Engine]]. The other engines in the 2011 film were also given names, Shiny Passenger Engine is called Minerva, The Nightmare Train is named Cerberus, Red Engine is named Shelbert, Big Locomotive is named Rodrick, Freight Train is named Humphrey, and Girl Train is named Mary.

* FanNickname: The Little Engine in the 2011 film, [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep who is called simply "Little Engine"]] is given the name Tracy by fans, which helps to set her apart from Tillie, [[LegacyCharacter the original Little Engine]]. The other engines in the 2011 film were also given names, Shiny Passenger Engine is called Minerva, The Nightmare Train is named Cerberus, Red Engine is named Selbert, Big Locomotive is named Rodrick, Freight Train is named Humphrey, and Girl Train is named Mary.

** It's entirely possible there's a long way around, or another railroad has a way back into the same yard she's based out of. Real-life railroads have different ways of getting into the same city (for example, Southern Pacific's route over Donner Pass and the Western Pacific's line over the Feather River Canyon both lead towards the Bay Area). So the question is less about if Tillie can get home and more about what awaits her when she gets home. She did lose a single car on the way over, disobeyed orders (though rightfully so considering [[JerkWithAHeartOfJerk who was giving them]]), and essentially went AWOL on the job, so the Tower will no doubt be pissed at her.

* IronWoobie: Tillie, moreso than the original story. She endures abuse from her superior and bullying from her peers, and nearly ''dies'' trying to prove her worth, yet is cheerful all the while.

* TheScrappy: Grumpella, while not outright hated, it also one of the less popular characters due to the fact that she spends the entire film doing nothing but complaining in a grating voice.
* TearJerker: Tillie's DisneyDeath atop the mountain after the avalanche, especially with the [[DarkReprise sombre reprise]] of her {{leitmotif}}. [[spoiler: It makes her pulling through all the more awesome.]]

* NightmareFuel: The appropriately-named [[BigBad Nightmare Train]], with his disturbing design, booming voice, and sudden emergence from the fog.

* StrawmanHasAPoint: While it was nothing short of cruel of the Tower to get Tillie’s hopes up about pulling the birthday train, then screaming [[BigNo’s]] in her face, he was within his rights to deny this request for several reasons. Firstly, the journey over the mountain has proven to be mortally perilous for Tillie and the birthday train passengers, and they only just ''barely'' manage to survive the collapsing bridge and avalanche. Secondly, unlike the other engines, Tillie has apparently no experience with pulling any trains, so with this in mind, her wanting to pull a train over the mountain not only seems like an overly lofty goal, but a dangerous one as well.

* TheScrappy
** The Tower, who's already pretty surly but seems outright verbally abusive to Tillie, going to far as to yank her chain by tricking her into thinking that he'll let her pull a train, only to scream in her face. It doesn't help that he's last seen sleeping on the job, meaning he gets no punishment in the end.
** Grumpella, while not outright hated, it also one of the less popular characters due to the fact that she spends the entire film doing nothing but complaining in a grating voice.

* CultClassic: Was a staple of children's VHS collections in the early 90s, just as direct-to-video media was becoming a mainstay, and is fondly remembered for it's surprisingly nuanced direction and beautiful music. Other than that, it's never been very popular and wouldn't see another release until it was unceremoniously added to Creator/PrimeVideo.

* FriendlyFandoms: With ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends'', unsurprisingly, as both are about {{cool train}}s and best known among Americans for its healthy home video life during the 1990s and early 2000s.

** It's entirely possible there's a long way around, or another railroad has a way back into the same yard she's based out of. Real-life railroads have different ways of getting into the same city (for example, Southern Pacific's route over Donner Pass and the Western Pacific's line over the Feather River Canyon both lead towards the Bay Area). So the question is less about if Tillie can get home and more about what awaits her when she gets home. She did lose a single car on the way over, disobeyed orders (though rightfully so considering [[JerkWithAHeartOfJerk who was giving them]]), and essentially went AWOL on the job, so the Tower will no doubt be ''pissed' at her.

* WhatAnIdiot: The birthday train is making progress towards the town over the mountain when the locomotive pulling it, Georgia, breaks down. Doc, the medic, states that she can't handle the train, and suggests that Rollo the Clown, the leader of the toys on the train, flag down another engine. He does just that, but the snooty passenger engine Farnsworth and the gruff freight engine Pete refuse to take the job. With both engines not willing to do it, Doc having to tend to the injured Georgia, and the as-yet-to-arrive Jebediah unable to take the train due to his advanced age, Tillie is the only engine left for the job. She then suggests to the Tower in charge of the rail yard that she take the job.
** [[AC:You’d Expect:]] The Tower, having no other engines able or willing to take the train, allow Tillie to go pick up the train and take it over the mountain. He may not think she can do it, but she clearly wants to prove herself as an engine, and for a guy who's on a tight-schedule, having a train fall behind wouldn't look good for him.
** [[AC:Alternatively:]] If he still thinks that Tillie can't handle the job, he can order Pete or Farnsworth to do the job, even if they don't want to. He may not be the most likable boss around, but they clearly respect him enough on some level to obey him.
** [[AC:Instead:]] He instead pulls a massive [[YankTheDogsChain jerk moment]] and angrily yells at Tillie for even daring to ask him to pull the train, making it clear he's not going to let her pull that birthday train.
** [[AC:Worse Yet:]] He doesn't even consider making Pete or Farnsworth take the train, leaving it sitting out on a siding with no one able to pull it, and falling further behind schedule by the minute!
** [[AC:Fortunately:]] Tillie decides to sneak out of the yard and pull the train herself, getting it over the mountain in spite of the dangers she faces.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: [[https://www.deviantart.com/eli-j-brony/art/Tillie-stands-up-to-Tower-Part-1-342570172 This image]] seems to bring to mind the idea that, [[CruelToBeKind in his own gruff way]], Tower is keeping Tillie from pulling trains over the mountain because he doesn't want her [[AdultFear doing something she might not come back from]]. Considering the dangers the mountain has and how she almost dies twice during the same trip, was he really aware of this possibility and trying to keep her from going so she didn't get buried or fell to her death? Or is his actions really just him being a {{Jerkass}}, who would rather let a train fall behind because he's that dead-set on proving that he's right?

** [[AC:Alternatively:]] If he still thinks that Tillie can't handle the job, he can order Pete or Farnsworth to do the job, even if they don't want to. He may not be the most likable boss around, but they clearly respect him enough on some level to listen.

* FriendlyFandoms: With ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends'', unsurprisingly, as both are about {{cool train}}s and had a healthy home video life among American children in the 90s.

* FriendlyFandoms: With ''WesternAnimation/ThomasTheTankEngine'', unsurprisingly, as both are about {{cool train}}s and had a healthy home video life among American children in the 90s.

** Tillie passing over the rickety bridge, which crumbles just as she's about to reach the other side, resulting in the entire train almost getting pulled down into the rapids below. Notably, it's the one time she's ''not'' saved by her perseverance, as she pushes on as hard as she can and still can't move forward until two of her passengers uncouple the last car before it's too late, showing that [[RealityEnsues there are some things she can't do no matter how much she thinks she can]].

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: [[https://www.deviantart.com/eli-j-brony/art/Tillie-stands-up-to-Tower-Part-1-342570172 This image]] seems to bring to mind the idea that, in his own gruff way, Tower is keeping Tillie from pulling trains over the mountain because he doesn't want her [[AdultFear doing something she might not come back from]].

* IronWoobie: Tillie, moreso then the original story. She endures abuse from her superior and bullying from her peers, and nearly ''dies'' trying to prove her worth, yet is cheerful all the while.

* IronWoobie: Tillie, moreso than the original story. She endures abuse from her superior and bullying from her peers, and nearly ''dies'' trying to prove her worth, yet is cheerful all the while.

* IronWoobie: Tillie, moreso then the original story. She endures abuse from her superior and bullying from her peers, and nearly ''dies'' trying to prove her worth, yet is cheerful all the while.

* AlternateCharacterInterpratation: [[https://www.deviantart.com/eli-j-brony/art/Tillie-stands-up-to-Tower-Part-1-342570172 This image]] seems to bring to mind the idea that, in his own gruff way, Tower is keeping Tillie from pulling trains over the mountain because he doesn't want her [[AdultFear doing something she might not come back from]].

* AlternateCharacterInterperatation: [[https://www.deviantart.com/eli-j-brony/art/Tillie-stands-up-to-Tower-Part-1-342570172 This image]] seems to bring to mind the idea that, in his own gruff way, Tower is keeping Tillie from pulling trains over the mountain because he doesn't want her [[AdultFear doing something she might not come back from]].

* HilariousInHindsight: The Nightmare Train is voiced in this film by Ray Porter. Almost a decade later, he would get to voice the ultimate nightmare of the DC Universe, ComicBook/{{Darkseid}} himself, for ''Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague''.[[note]]He was going to play him in the theatrical cut of the film, but his part was cut.[[/note]]
* NightmareFuel: The appropriately-named [[BigBad Nightmare Train]], with his disturbing design, booming voice, and sudden emergence from the fog.

** The Tower, who's already pretty surly but seems outright verbally abusive to Tillie, going to far as to yank her chain but tricking her into thinking that he'll let her pull a train only to scream in her face.