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I was always under the assumption that diesel electric locomotives used this method because nobody (at least at the time when diesel electric architecture was introduced in the 1950's) could build clutches and transmissions that could handle the ever increasing post World War II payloads.
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And that how could you slip a clutch like that at 1-2mph? Electric motors will (happily?) hum along at 15rpm without ill effects. I think that's the biggest reason to use them, complete separation from an ICE that can't rev below a certain RPM, the electrics can take its time getting up to any given speed.