I'd say the Class 13 is closer to a permanently coupled B-Unit than a slug. That class had the two prime movers, after-all.

I this seems to me like a us version of a UK brake tender. Very informative and it is very interesting learning about us and it her railways!

I've seen 2 slugs and their mother units while I visited Portland. The numbers of the slugs are Union Pacific 3002 & 3004, with the mother units being 3001 & 3003

Similarly, there are units called snails, which has a prime mover but no traction motors. So it’s entirely possibly to hook a snail and a slug together to make one locomotive

Slugs are like those additional “option” ships you can collect in old space shooter video games.

I love these things. US rail yards don't really use hump slugs though, just more yard slugs. B units aren't common anymore either, in fact most of these aren't really used anymore except Yard Slugs, and maybe a road slug but those are hard to differentiate from normal units. Now this is coming from experience on the east coast, and it may be different in the West. But all I can tell you is we don't really have anything but yard slugs over here because most units are just upgraded to a new edition if possible or auctioned off to smaller railroads.

I believe the name comes from their low speed, low slung shape, and their purpose of helping locomotives better “stick” to the rails on heavy trains

That foamer part made me chuckle

I have a train that passes through my town a few times a week lead by a slug. You couldnt tell at a glance. An interesting fact about slugs is that ones with cabs are usually the ones crews use to control trains due to the lack of a prime mover in the engine. It makes a smoother, and quieter ride!

I like these videos that tell you about unusual railroad equipment!

Usually just see them add extra engines instead. But these are kinda neat. Train watching is fun :)

Never thought I’d hear Trainboy call anyone a dirty Foamer. Well played, Trainboy. Well played... I guess that’s to get everyone back for thinking slugs, B units, and the class 13 were all the same thing lol.

I love that you are branching out into sharing esoteric knowledge! Keep up the good work!

So if you give these slugs a cab does it makes them a snail?

We called them diesel or brake tenders and were used on long unfitted coal trains in the coal yards and most commonly seen around the Tyne and Sunderland area. What it does is gives the engine more braking effort but also more "grip" on the rails thus creating more braking effort, this was in an era where the only other braking was via the brake van at the back and the guard in the brake van would at certain points of gradient add some brake to the wheels and loco engine drivers had a series of toots on the horn for emergencies. It had to be done carefully as well as those unfitted coal wagons would if not tended correctly start to concertina upwards and outwards so the guard would apply brake first and when the drag was felt the driver could apply his main brakes without worry the "troublesome trucks" (unfitted coal wagons were the inspiration for the wagons in Thomas) were going to splash all over the line. Many of these were converted steam tenders from ancient stock and exceptionally dense hence why you never saw these coal trains going that fast. Now the 9F 2-10-0 steam engine could match any double headed British diesel of that era and only need a brake van at back of huge coal consists with only limited guard brake applications needed as the engine had superior braking too and so heavy wheel slip on braking was rare.

Still love to come back to the video and watch it again

The mother unit provides support for her young. Love to see it.

Really liking these irl train vids. Learning quite a bit from these.

Wow these videos are really mind-blowing. I am learning so much about trains stuff. Really love these educative series. Keep up the good work, TB!

1:12 My favourite type of locomotive, plus nice use or the Mario music in the background

I never thought I would hear "dirty foamer" come out of trainboy's mouth, i was caught so off guard.

Your an awesome teacher TrainBro

So far in my railfanning "career", I've caught UP CCRCLs, CSX and NS yard slugs, former hump slugs (at the NS DeButts yard in Chattanooga, which was converted to a flat-switching yard), and on NS and CSX: road slugs.

So, a bit I remember, is Pug in a certain Scottish dialect, is a translation of Monkey. Many industrial shunters were called Pugs, translating to Monkey. It was a kind of way of calling the small shunter ugly, so they were called Pug. I think of that occasionally when I think of Slug units, because the slimy alive Slugs are ugly, so maybe it was a term used to call the Steel Rail Slugs ugly due to their awkward appearance.

Thank you for going over the slug, just what I needed. I can only think the term 'slug' was used as these units offer little personality as compared to the prime mover.

I like to refer to Locomotive & Slug units as “Mother” & “Calf” style power consists by the way they appear as a big loco with a small power assistant tender😅

In my area, the CRANDIC (Cedar Rapids AND Iowa City) railroad uses slugs on all their engines. The Iowa Northern uses them too, so they are a very common sight for me. Another name I've heard is the main unit is the "Cow" and the slug is called its "Calf"

The answer I’ve been waiting for

These slugs look cool, great video!

Awesome video. Thanks for all the knowledge I must make a slug for my G scale layout 👍😎

I saw A CSX Slug yesterday CSX 2370, originally A B&O GP40 and Wore Chessie paint until becoming A slug.

Hi Trainboy big fan of the channel! The line not far from me owns some road slugs of their own for the passenger services. I have a few videos of them on my channel along with other trainspotting videos.

Looks similar to a Break Tender in the UK which is used as extra breaking power for the diesel's goods train.

It’s an accessory for American locomotives pretty much

The term slug comes from the “slug” of concrete that replaces the prime mover in most units. Although the diesel engine is sometimes abandoned in place if it is damaged and lacks value.

Interesting video. Norfolk Southern 3004 is a nice engine.

Thank you for the info !!!

Could make a good use for a contemporary battery powered brake/regen tender.

I noticed some have ditch lights & horn's but I haven't seen them in uesd at Railroad Crossings I haven't seen none in person weird locomotives cool video.

Never knew these existed, hope I get see one someday in the future

It spreads the electric power generated in the locomotive diesel engines over more axles with electric traction motors. More contact with the track with extra weight, hopefully more tractive effort. The traction motors are not overloaded and so they run cooler. It will be much slower, same power, double the traction motors, hence it's a 'slug'.

You should do a video on B-Units. Nice Video on the Slug units.

Yard slugs are just full sized model trains 💀

1 people, this ain't nothing like a brake tender Slug=extra power Brake tender=brakes 2not like class 13 shunter, it was 2 diesel shunters (ie two engines) permanent coupled and was controlled by the 'master' while the 'slave' had its cab removed.

aww!! a mother train and her child!!!

these guys are really to catch your eye 😂

I had a bad idea: why not some of the ballast of a slug be a battery bank or a diesel tender? Batteries for efficiency or diesel for long hauling ( although it runs into the garratt issue of being too light after using up stuff )

going back to the enthralling engines topic Could you make a video on the three Bord na Mona steam engines built to run on peat from Ireland as it will be st Patrick's day pretty soon and I'm from Ireland

hi, more of this please :)))))))))))

I thought my Switch was playing up as all I could hear was the theme from the level I was playing earlier... caught me right out O.o

Pov: mom I want a pet slug mom: we have a slug at home. The slug at home:

Finally I learn what a slug actually is

I’ve yet to see a slug of any type in person. I live right next to the CSX yard and never seen one.

Interesting rail vehicles to say the least. By the way what's that SMW overworld theme remix?

I saw a ECO NS slug in PA once

I didn't know American Railroads had brake tenders. And I friggin live here.

CRANDIC (Cedar Rapids AND Iowa City) Railroad regularly uses slugs in their operations.

Everyone says they are called slugs because of their speed, but honestly it’s more because of their long, short shape for me.

I just saw a CSX mother slug set on a mainline freight train

Well now I know two different types of Metal Slugs.

Went to a train show and got a small yard switcher from Baltimore and Ohio for $15 maybe do a video on those

We don't use the word "shunting" on US railroads, unless you're referring to track occupancy and or signaling systems

0:31 I didn't know SP made railslugs

Man, a nearby shortline is absolutely INFESTED with road slugs.

Hey trainboy hope you respond but if you remember a video you made about a wierd train safety video I found another train safety video it's not wierd but educational It's called "sly fox and birdie bird railroad safety"hope you make a video about it from cat schow

unidentified rolling brick, or "urb"

I did not no about the slugs very interesting

Very kool 🚂😎👍👍👍👍

if it had a cab it would be a railroad snail

Seen some when I went past bellvue ohio ns yard and ns Chattanooga yard

Can you talk about a brazillian locomotive next? A vintage brazillian locomotive?

A Railroad Slug at the back of a diesel kinda looks like a diesel engine's version of a tender

Ballast or scrap metal were used in the slugs

woah, the image of a mother unit and two slugs at 2:13 was a bit confusing. anybody have any ideas about that one?

The reaps I saw for why they’re called slugs is because they’re “good at they do, at slow speeds”

Diesel:we don't need tenders to make us important Gordon:then,what are those Diesel:what is wha.... A slug and a B unit are Beside diesel Diesel:WHAT THE FUCK ARE THOOSE DOING HERE Diesel pushese then away into a siding and then the slug and B-unit derails and diesel comes back breathing heavy Gordon:pathetic(then he leaves)

Can you please make a video on Indian trian.

I wonder what a British version of one of these would look like. Maybe a class 08 with the top half cut off? Hmm

A slug has traction motors only and a Snail has only a prime mover

before watching the video i would guess that railroad slugs are locomotive that are incredibly slow and very long, probably diesel powered mabye narrow guage and heavy goods locomotives now to see if i was right!

I saw a yard slug today

i had to click on the video the thumbnail was too good

Can somebody please explain to me what a foamer is im so confused

I did alot of train spotting before the pandemic and I never heard the word former used before, what does that mean?

am I the only one who noticed the 2 CONRAIL units at 2:15?

1:28

Basically, *a tender for American diesels*

sooo, its an optional tender?

It's sad what Norfolk Southern did to ns 1594

DO MORE ADOWT VIDEOS!!!

IHB Slug Is the most ghettoist out of all of the other slugs. If you seen some photos the MP15DC's Smoke more then a Alco C636 Lol

Talk about diesel brake tenders

Slugs? they're called Slugs cause they Mainly move around the railyards like well slugs. And even though they can move without mother units if they do it's very slowly like a slug. Another root for the name is they're used to Slug railcars into there place. Reason that the term is hard to trace origin point is cause around the time they first appeared the jokes were thrown around and the nickname became official. very much like the Name Big boy.

i made this video reach 30k :D

A brake tender with electricity basicly

Slug moment

So it's a UK brake tender.

snail

i was sent here by derail valley lmao

look at these lil guys. love em