The preference for diesel-electric locomotives

DIESEL locomotives pulling long freight trains of several thousand tons on mainline railroads are a familiar sight, yet most people are not generally aware of the time and effort that must be expended in collecting and distributing this freight moving over the principal lines of the railways. The little known “work horse” that performs the seemingly thankless task of collecting and distributing this freight to all industries is the switching locomotive, working all hours of the day and night. Loaded cars are brought to a classifying point where further switching and transfer work is required to make up a through freight train destined for movement over the main line.