A type of locomotive drive where the diesel engine turns a hydraulic torque converter instead of a generator. The pressurized fluid spins a turbine connected mechanically to the driving axles. While common in some European networks, North American railroads largely abandoned them due to high maintenance costs and lower reliability under heavy freight loads compared to diesel-electric systems.
Heard on the job
The shop is having trouble sourcing parts for the old diesel-hydraulic switcher we use in the yard.