Word of the Day
26 April 2026
chugger
A heavy-duty locomotive whether electric, diesel, hybrid or steam-powered
Why this one
The name is pure onomatopoeia, borrowed from the exhaust beat of a steam engine, and it stuck to the job rather than the power source: yard crews will call an electric a chugger even though nothing about it chugs.
In use
Don't shunt those loaded ore cars with the little switcher, wait for the chugger to come back off the north lead.
Written by our editors to show how the term is used, not a recorded quotation.