To chug along

[André Vasconcelos]

To progress steadily at a slow pace. The analogy comes from trains - their sound is called "chug", the verb is to chug.

chug along

1. To move forward slowly, as of a train (which stereotypically makes a chugging noise). The train is chugging along again, so we should be at the station soon.

2. To proceed steadily. Don't worry, the project is still chugging along, in spite of all the setbacks.