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In railroading, the term 'drift' means to cut off steam to the cylinders of a steam locomotive and allow the train to continue forward due to the momentum already attained. After closing the throttle, the engineer (driver) will center the Johnson bar so as to reduce drag from the locomotive's cylinders. In modern terminology, drifting refers to any kind of coasting by a train, as would occur when the engineer (driver) moves the throttle to the idle position in a Diesel or electric locomotive.