The possibility of increasing locomotive traction properties without using drives with asynchronous traction electric motors (TED) and pulse width modulation is considered. It is proved that collector TED allows realizing the traction force in a continuous mode of 63.75 kN per axle with a wheel diameter of 1250 mm, while it is advisable to use a drive with a support frame suspension of TED and an axial gearbox. Due to the significant mass of collector TED, it is proposed to make a promising diesel locomotive in the form of two sections on three two-axle bogies and a booster on two two-axle bogies. Taking into account that electric arc asynchronous motors (EAAM) simplify the converter part of the drive by eliminating pulse width modulation, a design of a traction drive for EAAM with a hollow shaft in the recess formed by arc-shaped inductors is proposed, which makes it possible to realize EAAM torque and locomotive traction force by increasing the diameter of EAAM rotor.