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The Term "Motormen"
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A practical, but not all-encompassing, definition that I've seen around the engineering world for my entire career is that an engine directly converts the energy in a fuel that it carries with it, while a motor does not (that conversion would occur elsewhere, if at all). Hence, an internal-combustion engine (Diesel) or external combustion engine (steam), can stand alone and do the job as long as it has a tank of fuel. But an electric motor cannot do that - it carries and burns no fuel - the involvement of a fuel in the process occurs somewhere else and the motor has to be connected to it with wires. <br /> <br />Under this definition, a Diesel-electric locomotive (power unit, including a D-E DMU car) has an engine or engines and electric traction motors; a straight Diesel locomotive (Diesel-hydraulic or other direct drive, like an RDC) has an engine or engines but no traction motors; an electric locomotive (power unit, including EMUs, interurbans and trolley/LRT cars) has electric traction motors but no engine. <br /> <br />Hence, when the two were differentiated, engines were operated by engineers or engine-drivers (the older Briti***erm supplanted by just "drivers") and motors were operated by motormen. <br /> <br />Webster's, by the way, blurs any difference and uses the terms virtually synonymously, as do almost everybody else. <br /> <br />So much for antiquities. We all know what we mean when we use the terms in everyday, non-technical language. <br /> <br />Hope this is useful.
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