Railway locomotive (6) Crossword Clue
Answer: ENGINE (6 letters)
The answer to the crossword clue "Railway locomotive" with 6 letters is "ENGINE".The answer "ENGINE" fits the clue "Railway locomotive (6)" because a railway locomotive is commonly referred to as an "engine." In crossword puzzles, "engine" can be used as a synonym for a locomotive, which is the powerful machine that pulls or pushes trains along the tracks.
Why “Engine” Fits
Railway locomotive: In railway usage, “engine” is a standard synonym for “locomotive,” meaning the powered rail vehicle that provides the motive force to pull a train, so it matches “railway locomotive” exactly.
Definitions of “locomotive engine” and related entries describe it as a self‑propelled engine driven by steam, diesel, or electricity and used for drawing trains along railway tracks, which is precisely what a railway locomotive is.
A Bit of Background
In everyday and railfan language, “engine” often stands in for “locomotive”:
Meaning and usage: Railway dictionaries and enthusiast guides explain that railroaders commonly say “engine” when they mean the whole locomotive—“How many engines were on that train?”—even though technically the engine is the power unit inside the locomotive.
Historically, “locomotive engine” referred to a self‑propelled engine that could move itself and other rail vehicles, and over time “engine” became widely accepted shorthand.
Examples: Articles and discussions routinely gloss a locomotive as “the train’s engine,” and gloss a train as “a railway engine connected to a group of vehicles for carrying people or goods.”
Crossword Solving Insight
For a clue like “Railway locomotive (6)”:
- Definition match: “Railway locomotive” is a direct description of an engine in railway parlance—especially in British and American English, where “engine” is an everyday term for a locomotive.
- Enumeration: ENGINE has six letters, fitting the (6) pattern perfectly; LOCOMOTIVE is too long, and more specific types (diesel, electric, etc.) usually get clued explicitly.
- Usage pattern: Because “engine” is short, common, and exactly what most people call the locomotive at the front of a train, it is a very natural and frequently used crossword answer for this definition.
This clean match in meaning and length makes ENGINE an ideal solution to “Railway locomotive (6).”
