A specialized locomotive unit equipped with a diesel engine and main generator, but stripped of its own traction motors. It is coupled to other equipment to supply electrical power for heavy loads, such as rotary snowplows, which require massive amounts of electricity to spin their blades but do not provide their own propulsion.
Heard on the job
Couple the snail behind the rotary plow so we have enough juice to clear the pass.
Do not mix it up with
- Slug: A slug has traction motors but no engine, while a snail has an engine but no traction motors.