Joseph Scott: Thanks for the link! Here's my transcription from the sheet music. It seems to me the song could be broken up into twelve 4-line verses, instead of two 24-line verses.


WHAT THE ENGINE DONE
Words and music by Les C. Copeland, ©1911.

1. Listen! let me tell you what the engine done.
She left New Orleans about a quarter to one.
The engineer he says to me:
I got to make connections with the Santa Fe.
The Santa Fe does fairly shout,
A-trying to keep up with the Sunset route.
The Sunset route runs all night,
A-tryin' to make connections with the Old Red Light.
The Old Red Light runs to the sea,
Trying to keep up with the M. K. and T.
The M. K. and T. runs so fast,
Tryin' to get along with the Ransas Pass.
The Ransas Pass runs all day,
Tryin' to make connection with the C. and A.
C. and A. sho' does dash,
Trying to keep up with the Old Wabash.
The Old Wabash runs along fine,
Tryin' to make connection with the Jersey Central Line.
The Jersey Central Line runs a good gait,
Tryin' to make connections with the Nickel Plate.
The Nickel Plate carries a load,
Tryin' to get along with the Pennsylvania Road.
The Pennsylvania Road beats them all,
Tryin' to make connections with the Cannon Ball.

2. The Cannon Ball runs through the thicket,
Tryin' to keep up with the Missouri Pacific.
Missouri Pacific runs like a fountain,
Tryin' to make connections with the Iron Mountain.
Iron Mountain sho' does pelt,
A-trying to keep up with the Cotton Belt.
The Cotton Belt runs up an alley,
Tryin' to make connections with the Lehigh Valley.
Lehigh Valley hands you the bunk,
Trying to keep up with the Old Grand Trunk.
The Old Grand Trunk raises cane,
Tryin' to make connections with the Boston and Maine.
The Boston and Maine flies like a raven,
Tryin' to keep up with the New York and New Haven.
New York and New Haven sho' does go,
Tryin' to make connections with the B. and O.
B. and O. steps about,
Tryin' to make connection with the Lackawanna Route.
The Lackawanna Route sho' does roar,
Trying to keep up with Old West Shore.
The Old West Shore keeps its time,
Tryin' to make connection with the Erie Line.
The Erie Line behind so far,
Can't make connection with the Trolley Car.


[The Internet Archive has a recording by Two Ton Baker from 1949. He sticks pretty close to the above lyrics. Spotify has a recording by The Hollow Trees from their album "Wacky's Tackle" (2010); I suspect they got the song from Two Ton Baker.]