The EMD BL2, Predecessor To The Legendary GP Series

EMD originally began as the Electro-Motive Corporation and has its beginnings in 1922 being based out of Cleveland, Ohio building inexpensive motorcars. With the purchase of the company in 1930 by General Motor, and more resources at its disposal the company began developing the precursor of the modern-day diesel-electric road unit (cabs and road-switchers), the streamlined trainset, which consisted of a powered car permanently attached to a few coaches (usually two or three cars). The most famous of these streamlined trainsets was the Burlington Zephyrs, a beautiful streamlined stainless steel creation (originally powered by Winton engines, which would also become a subsidiary of GM) that was extremely lightweight and fast. The original trainset, the Zephyr 9900, made headlines in 1934 when it completed a non-stop journey from Denver to Chicago in a little over 13 hours.

Because the power cars with these trainsets were permanently attached to the coaches EMC sought to design a locomotive free of this articulated setup streamlined in such a manner that a railroad could attach it to any passenger train it wished and obtain the same, smooth streamlined look. This it did with the unveiling of the EA model in 1937, the first in a long line of passenger diesel locomotive designs, which would come to be known as the E series.

Not surprisingly, soon after the EA unveiling the company decided to take things a step further and develop the first true diesel road unit, capable of pulling long freights in main line service. In 1939 it came out with the FT model (perhaps the key difference between the E and F series was that Fs rode on B-B trucks whereas Es rode on C-Cs and carried a noticeably longer carbody), the first in EMC’s F series, and one of the most success diesel-electric designs of all time and the model which would come to define American railroading for years (you can even see later models still in regular use today after 60+ years of continuous use!).

The FT (which stood for Freight, Twenty-seven hundred horsepower) was a serious locomotive and although its 2,700 horsepower came from an A-B setup of cab (A) and booster (B) units rated at 1,350 horsepower each it would become embraced by the rail industry for the efficiencies it held over steam power as well as being rugged and easy to maintain.

Following the success of its cab units, EMD realized that there was a market to be made in road-switchers, which at the time was mostly dominated by Alco with its popular RS series. The builder was late to the game and its first attempt at this type of locomotive, which gives train crews both excellent vision all around the locomotive for switching and local service as well as enough horsepower to be used in main line operations, was the BL2. Although unsuccessful from a sales standpoint the BL2 was really a mere stepping-stone for its next model, the GP series (meaning General Purpose).

The BL2 is certainly unmistakable with its longer nose and recessed carbody, which allowed the cab to be much more “open” and train crews could see behind the locomotive as well as to the front. Built only between 1948 and 1949, the model came in the standard GP configuration of four-axles and it carried 1,500 horsepower. A total of 59 BL2s were built, naturally making them very rare today! Having said that, a number of them survive and at least two are still operational; one, on the West Virginia Central in West Virginia and the other on The Stourbridge Line in Pennsylvania.

Of course, after testing the market with the BL2, EMD went on to unveil the widely popular GP series, which vaulted the builder as the top locomotive manufacturer and helped keep it there for decades.

For more information on the BL2 model consider one (or both) of the books below. Mike Schafer’s Vintage Diesel Locomotives looks at virtually all of the classic builders and models from Alco PAs to early EMD Geeps. If you’re interested in classic EMDs, or diesels in general, this book gives an excellent general history of both.

Also, Brian Solomon’s The American Diesel Locomotive also studies many of the same diesel models and builders as Mr. Schafer’s publication although at nearly twice the size the book goes into a bit more detail than Vintage Diesel Locomotives and also covers newer models. All in all, though, both books are a great read and you shouldn’t be disappointed with them, not to mention that they are loaded with photos (many in color)!