WA boxcab, in railroad terminology, is a locomotive in which the machinery and crew areas are enclosed in a box-like superstructure. It is a term mostly used in North America while in Victoria (Australia), such locomotives have been nicknamed "butterboxes". Boxcabs may use any source of power but most are diesel or electric locomotives. Few steam locomotives are so described but the British SR Leader class was a possible exception. Most American boxcabs date from before World War II, when the earliest boxcabs were often termed "oil-electrics" to avoid the use of the German name "Diesel" due to propaganda purposes.
W"Bulldog nose" is the nickname given, due to their appearance, to several diesel locomotives manufactured by GM-EMD and its licencees from 1939 to 1970. The term originated with EMD F-units, as well as later E-unit models such as the E7, E8, and E9.
WThe term cab forward refers to various rail and road vehicle designs that place the driver's compartment substantially farther towards the front than is common practice.
WA cowl unit is a body style of diesel locomotive. The terminology is a North American one, though similar locomotives exist elsewhere. A cowl unit is one with full-width enclosing bodywork, similar to the cab unit style of earlier locomotives, but unlike the cab unit style, the bodywork is merely a casing and is not load-bearing. All the strength is in the locomotive's frame, beneath the floor, rather than the bridge-truss load-bearing carbody of the earlier type.
WA hood unit, in North American railroad terminology, is a body style for diesel and electric locomotives. On a hood unit, the body of the locomotive is less than full-width for most of the locomotive's length, with walkways on the outside of the locomotive. In contrast, a cab unit has a full-width carbody for the length of the locomotive. A hood unit has sufficient visibility to be operated in both directions from a single cab. Also, the underframe is the main load-bearing member, allowing the hood to be non-structural and easily opened or even removed for maintenance.
WSharknose is a term applied by railfans to the styling of several cab unit diesel locomotives built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works to the specifications of the Pennsylvania Railroad. The styling was by the PRR's preferred designer, Raymond Loewy, with the distinctive nose reminiscent of his design for the PRR T1 steam locomotive.
WIn railroad terminology, a Steeplecab is a style or design of electric locomotive; the term is rarely if ever used for other forms of power. The name originated in North America and has been used in Britain as well.