I wonder if the engineers who built "The Little Engine that Could" did so in anticipation of it having a particular rough lot in life. I also wonder if had the engine been unable to deliver the circus staff to the event on time, would it have suffered an identity crisis?

Maybe some of the other names they batted around the station were "The Little Engine that Should Work According to Expectations" or "The Little Engine that Has a Face on Its Smokestack" or "Thomas".