Meanings
plural pony engines
- A small locomotive used for shunting wagons, etc.
Synonyms: shunter, shunting engine, switcher
- CanadaUSdatedA small gasoline engine serving as an auxiliary to a diesel engine (mainly in older designs from the 1930s to 1950s), providing heat to warm it up and, when engaged with a clutch, providing cranking to start it up.
Synonyms: pony motor
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA small locomotive used for shunting wagons, etc.
nounA small gasoline engine serving as an auxiliary to a diesel engine (mainly in older designs from the 1930s to 1950s), providing heat to warm it up and, when engaged with a clutch, providing cranking to start it up.
Cite this entry
pony engine. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pony%20engine
“pony engine.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pony%20engine. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pony engine,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pony%20engine.
Source: pony engine on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.