Hi,

In English I learned "pufferbillies", which I understand as the name for a small steam locomotive. To me, "pufferbellies" has an American sound to it, I don't know why, exactly.

"See the engine driver twist the little handle," or "Hear the station master blow his little whistle"? Curiously, I would say for the standard pronunciation neither seems to fits the tune I know: Wouldn't it be "!Sta!tion master", and "!En!gine driver", whereas the tunes asks for "Station !mas!ter" or "Engine !dri!ver"?

Dutch:
Op een klein stationnetje (On a little station)
's Morgens in de vroegte (Early in the morning)
Staan de blikken wagentjes (Little metal cars stand)
Netjes op een rij (Neatly in a line)
Ziet de machinist eens, (Watch the engine driver)
Hij draait aan een wieletje (he turns a little wheel 'round)
hakke-hakke, puf, puf (chukka-chukka, puff, puff)
Weg zijn we. (We are off. [Except "off" doesn't rhyme with "line".])

That's the oldest version I know, and I doubt anyone would sing it like that, as "ziet the machinist eens", would be incomprehensible for a child. But as you can see we translated the version with the engine driver, not that with the station master. I don't know whether that means it's more original, though, or was simply the version the translator had learned. The details suggest it's from a later time.

Bye,
                                                                Mysha