A small locomotive used in logging, mining, or construction to move equipment and materials over short distances.
From dink (small) + -ey suffix; originated in late 19th-century American industrial terminology, particularly in timber regions where small rail operations were essential.
Dinkey engines were the unsung heroes of American resource extraction—lightweight enough to operate on hastily-built tracks through forests but powerful enough to haul logs that would take teams of horses days to move, completely transforming the logging industry.
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