The condition of a locomotive traveling by itself, or occasionally with only a caboose, rather than pulling a consist of revenue cars. Dispatchers run power light to reposition locomotives for departing trains, rescue broken-down trains, or return crews to their home terminal. Because they lack the braking effort of a heavy train, light engines can be tricky to stop on wet or icy rails.
Heard on the job
Dispatch, we're running light out of the yard and should be at the junction in twenty minutes.
Insider tip
Running light requires careful train handling, as a lone locomotive has much less braking friction than a loaded train.
Also heard as
- light engine