Railroad History

Passenger and Commuter Rail

Railroading Today

Rolling Stock

Infrastructure and Terms

Museums and Tourism

Miscellaneous

About The Site

[?] Subscribe To This Site

The Bessemer and Lake Erie Diesel Roster

The Bessemer and Lake Erie diesel roster mostly consisted of GMs since the railroad predominantly favored EMD although it did dabble in models from Baldwin/Lima and Alco. For a mostly-complete Bessemer and Lake Erie diesel roster please click here (while not fully complete it will give you an idea of most units the B&LE once owned). This list of surviving B&LE diesel locomotives will be categorized by original numbers the railroad assigned its units and where they are today, whether in operation, cosmetically restored, or in some state of preservation at railroad museums and tourist railroads. Also, just as something to keep in mind if you are not aware, while some locomotives may be painted/preserved in B&LE colors this does not necessarily mean that they are of B&LE heritage (and likewise, some locomotives may be of B&LE heritage that are not in B&LE colors).

The Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad was a regional railroad (once a Class I) based in western Pennsylvania that connected Bessemer, Pennsylvania (near Pittsburgh) with the Lake Erie port of Conneaut, Ohio and an interchange point with Norfolk Southern at Wallace Junction, near Erie, Pennsylvania (originally this connection was with the New York Central along its main line to Chicago). Similar to the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie, which operated in the same region as the B&LE but connected different cities in Pennsylvania and Ohio, the Bessemer is best remembered for the large amounts of steel and steel-related traffic it moved over its rails (i.e., coal, ore, coke, etc.)

While the B&LE is technically still on the books as an operating entity, it was acquired in 2004 by Canadian National so it remains to be seen just how long the railroad will maintain its identity before being swallowed into the Class I giant. However, you can still catch bright orange and black EMD six-axle locomotives in full B&LE colors and logo hauling trains along the railroad’s original route.

Electro-Motive Division (EMD)

· EMD F7A #719A: Preserved at the Tennessee Central Railway Museum as B&LE #719A.

· EMD F7A #720A: In operation on tourist line Adirondack Scenic as New York Central #1500.

· EMD F7A #722A: In operation on tourist line Potomac Eagle as #722.

· EMD F7A #723A: In operation on shortline Carrizo Gorge Railway as #100.

· EMD F7A #723B: In operation on shortline Carrizo Gorge Railway as #101.

· EMD F7A #724A: In operation on shortline Carrizo Gorge Railway as #102.

· EMD F7A #725A: In operation on COE Rail as #725.

· EMD F7A #728: Preserved and in operation on the Southern Railway of New Jersey as New York, Ontario & Western #728.

Also, it should be noted that B&LE successor Canadian National still rosters 19 of the railroad’s six-axle EMDs. To learn more about the disposition of these locomotives please click here to visit The Diesel Shop.

While this list will continually be updated it certainly does not completely cover every surviving unit, which was on the Bessemer and Lake Erie diesel roster. So, if you know of any other survivors out there, whether they are parked and gleaming in a museum or sitting out in the weeds along a forgotten siding please let me know so we can keep this list growing, and you will be given full credit for your help.

For more reading on the Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad you might want to consider purchasing a copy of Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad by author Kenneth Springirth . The book gives an excellent pictorial and general history of the railroad (with informative accompanying captions), and is published by Arcadia Publishing (one of the leading publishers of history books). If you have any interest in the Bessemer & Lake Erie or are interested in learning more about its operations you should very much enjoy Mr. Springirth’s book.

You may also want to consider the book Evolution of the American Diesel Locomotive by author J. Parker Lamb. As the title implies the book looks at the history and development of the diesel locomotives, covering 200 pages, from its earliest beginnings to the newest designs and models operated today. If you're interested in perhaps purchasing either (or both) of these books please visit the links below which will take you to ordering information through Amazon.com, the trusted online shopping network.

footer for bessemer and lake erie diesel roster page