Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Diesel Roster: All-Time
Published: March 15, 2025
By: Adam Burns
The C&O operated diesels from nearly every major builder including Electro-Motive, Alco, General Electric, and even a few models from Baldwin. Interestingly, the railroad never purchased any Fairbanks-Morse products.
The C&O's first-generation road power primarily consisted of EMD products while second-generation products included both EMD and General Electric. The railroad's final new units included a group of SD50s acquired in 1984/1985.
The information presented here provides a complete, all-time Chesapeake & Ohio diesel roster. The railroad was late to the diesel era thanks to its strong commitment to steam technology as a result of its considerable coal business.
Chessie System (Chesapeake & Ohio) GP40-2's in Chicago; April 28, 1973. American-Rails.com collection.Switchers
| Original Road Number(s) | Second Road Number(s) | Third Road Number(s) | Builder/Model | Construction Number(s) | Date Built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Street Union Depot 1-2 | - | - | EMD NW5 | 4148-4149 | 1/1947-2/1947 |
| Manistee & North Eastern 1 | 8303 | - | GE 44-Tonner | 28501 | 8/1946 |
| Manistee & North Eastern 2-3 | 5297-5298 | - | EMD NW2 | 5555-5556 | 5/1948 |
| Pere Marquette 10-11 | 8401 (ex-#11) | - | EMC SW1 | 902, 1714 | 7/1939, 4/1942 |
| Pere Marquette 20-22 | 20-22 | - | GE 70-tonner | 28506, 28508, 28510 | 12/1946 |
| Pere Marquette 51-64 | 5275-5289 (no #5279) | - | EMD NW2 | 1715-1718, 3463-3472 | 10/1942-5/1946 |
| 1850-1856 | 9558-9565 (ex-#1850-1856, #1858) | - | EMD NW2 | 6268-6274 | 11/1948-12/1948 |
| 5000-5057 | 9165 (ex-#5015), 9168-9169 (ex-#5022 and #5025), 9172-9175 (ex-#5033, 5036, 5045-5046), 9179 (ex-#5051) | - | Alco S2 | 76770, 76771, 76781-76783, 77130-77150, 77165, 77796-77813, 77827, 77828, 77941-77945, 76897-76902 | 5/1949-1/1950 |
| 5060-5079 | 9160-9164 (ex-#5000, 5005-5006, 5011-5012) | - | EMD NW2 | 10381-10386, 10367-10380 | 6/1949-9/1949 |
| 5080-5093 | - | - | EMD SW9 | 11713-11722, 17262-17263, 19298-19299 | 4/1952-12/1953 |
| Baltimore & Ohio 480/9024 | 5100 (2nd) | - | Alco S2 | 70253 | 9/1943 |
| 5100-5113 | - | - | Alco S4 | 80622-80626, 80629-80637 | 7/1953-9/1953 |
| 5200-5213 | - | - | EMD NW2 | 10259-10272 | 8/1949-11/1949 |
| 5214-5239 | - | - | EMD SW7 | 10273-10298 | 1/1950-3/1950 |
| 5240-5244 | - | - | GMD SW9 | A149-A153 | 1/1951-2/1951 |
| 5245-5265 | - | - | EMD SW9 | 15504-15524 | 10/1951-11/1951 |
| 6000A and 6000B (Cow-Calf) | - | - | EMD TR4A and TR4B | 11945-11946 | 6/1950 |
| 6001A and 6001B (Cow-Calf) | - | - | EMD TR4A and TR4B | 11947-11948 | 6/1950 |
| 6500A/B/C (Herd) | - | - | EMD TR3A/B/C | 10253-10255 | 10/1949 |
| 6501A/B/C (Herd) | - | - | EMD TR3A/B/C | 10256-10258 | 10/1949 |
| B&OCT 219/8419 | - | - | EMD SW1 | 1604 | 5/1942 |
| Baltimore & Ohio 9099 | 9164 (2nd) | - | Alco S4 | 81972 | 6/1956 |
| 6500A, 6501C, 6500B, 6501A, 6500C, 6501B | 9552-9557 | - | EMD TR3A/B/C | - | 10/1949 |
| 6000A, 6000B, 6001A, 6001B | 9622-9625 | - | EMD TR4A/B | - | 6/1950 |
Classic Road-Switchers
| Original Road Number(s) | Second Road Number(s) | Third Road Number(s) | Builder/Model | Construction Number(s) | Date Built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80-85 | 1839 (ex-83) | - | EMD BL2 | 4724-4729 | 6/1948-7/1948 |
| 1800-1818 | - | - | EMD SD18 | 27598-27616 | 1/1963-3/1963 |
| 1840-1847 | - | - | EMD BL2 | 6275-6281 | 10/1948-3/1949 |
| 1840-1847 | - | - | Alco RSD5 | 79427-79431 | 10/1948-3/1949 |
| 5570-5595 | 2000-2006 (ex-5574-5576, 5587, 5589, 5591, 5592) | - | Alco RSD5 | 79427-79431, 79702-79706, 79945-79954, 80189-80194 | 3/1952-7/1952 |
| 6700-6709 | 2007-2016 | - | Alco RSD12 | 81943-81952 | 4/1956-5/1956 |
| 2100-2103 | - | - | Alco C630 | S-3486-01 thru S-3486-04 | 10/1967 |
| 5114-5115 | - | - | Alco RS1 | 5114, 5115 | 9/1953 |
| 5500-5501 | - | - | Alco RS2 | 76826-76827 | 5/1949 |
| 5530-5532 | 2200 (5530) | - | BLW DRS-6-6-1500 | 74701-74703 | 11/1949 |
| 5533-5550, 5551-5558, 5559-5569, 5528-5529 | 2202-2209 (ex-5534-5542), 2211-2231 (ex-5546-5566), 2232-2233 (ex-5528-5529) | - | BLW AS616 | 74917-747929, 74951, 74966-74969, 75171-75178, 75345-75355, 75391-75392 | 11/1950-7/1953 |
| 5570-5595 | - | - | Alco RSD5 | 79427-79431, 79702-79706, 79945-79954, 80189-80194 | 3/1952-7/1952 |
| 5600-5601 | - | - | Alco RS3 | 81160, 81161 | 4/1955 |
| 5700-5709, 5715-5719, 5710-5714, 5739-5797, 5800-5811, 5812-5828, 5831-5839, 5829-5830, 5840-5855, 5862-5885, 5860-5861, 5898-5900, 5886-5897, 5856-5859 | - | - | EMD GP7 | 10129-10143, 10532-10536, 15245-15303, 16692-16703, 17033-17049, 17278-17286, 17287-17288, 17289-17304, 18036-18059, 18060-18061, 18062-18064, 18065-18076, 18077-18080 | 4/1950-4/1953 |
| 5720-5735, 5736-5738 | - | - | GMD GP7 | A154-A169, A239-A241 | 3/1951-6/1951 |
| 5901-5919, 5929-5937, 5938-6008, 5920-5928, 6009-6082, 6083-6088, 6109-6158, 6089-6108, 6159-6263 | - | - | EMD GP9 | 20183-20201, 20646-20654, 20847-20886, 21026-21045, 21182-21192, 21193-21201, 21487-21511, 21524-21538, 21686-21719, 21720-21725, 22017-22051, 22052-22066, 22090-22109, 22540-22547, 22550-22591, 23368-23397, 23501-23525 | 12/1954-8/1957 |
| 6700-6709 | - | - | Alco RSD12 | 81943-81952 | 4/1956-5/1956 |
| 6800-6811 | - | - | Alco RSD7 | 81901-81912 | 2/1956-4/1956 |
Contemporary Road-Switchers
| Original Road Number(s) | Second Road Number(s) | Third Road Number(s) | Builder/Model | Construction Number(s) | Date Built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1800-1818 | 7300-7318 | - | EMD SD18 | 27598-27616 | 1/1963-3/1963 |
| 2300-2329 | - | - | GE U23B (equipped with Blomberg trucks) | 37228-37257 | 9/1969-10/1969 |
| 2500-2537 | 8100-8137 | - | GE U25B | 34566-34570, 34724-34726, 34731-34760 | 8/1963-1/1964 |
| 3000-3047 | - | - | EMD GP30 | 27584-27597, 27798-27799, 28410-28411, 28494-28519, 28520-28521, 28522-28523 | 8/1962-10/1963 |
| 3045 (2nd), 3047 (2nd) | 3583-3584 | - | EMD GP35 | 30987-30988 | 9/1965 |
| 3300-3312 | - | - | GE U30C | 36300-36303, 36767-36775 | 6/1967-7/1968 |
| 3520-3539 | - | - | EMD GP35 | 29110-29129 | 4/1964-6/1964 |
| 3560-3575 | - | - | EMD GP35 | 29392-29407 | 9/1964-11/1964 |
| 3537, 3563 (2nd), 3574 (2nd) | - | - | EMD GP35 | 30989-30991 | 9/1965 |
| 3582 | - | - | EMD GP35 | 31439 | 12/1965 |
| 3850-3899 | - | - | EMD GP38 | 33681-33730 | 11/1967-12/1967 |
| 3900-3919 | - | - | EMD GP39 | 34784-34804 | 5/1969-7/1969 |
| 4065-4089 | - | - | EMD GP40 | 38545-38569 | 5/1971-8/1971 |
| 4090 | - | - | EMD GP40 | 39236 | 12/1971 |
| 4091-4099, 3780-3794 | - | - | EMD GP40 | 39237-39260 | 12/1971 |
| 4165-4184 | - | - | EMD GP40-2 | 7394-1 thru 7394-20 | 11/1972 |
| 4262-4281 | - | - | EMD GP40-2 | 776085-1 thru 776085-20 | 1/1978 |
| 4282-4286 | - | - | EMD GP40-2 | 777094-1 thru 777094-5 | 2/1978-3/1978 |
| 4372-4391 | - | - | EMD GP40-2 | 786288-1 thru 786288-20 | 1/1980 |
| 4392-4421 | - | - | EMD GP40-2 | 787289-1 thru 787289-30 | 2/1980-3/1980 |
| 4820-4829 | - | - | EMD GP38 | 36666-36675 | 7/1970-8/1970 |
| 7420-7431 | - | - | EMD SD35 | 29428-29439 | 9/1964-11/1964 |
| 7425 (2nd) | - | - | EMD SD35 | 30741 | 8/1965 |
| 7428 (2nd) | - | - | EMD SD35 | 30740 | 8/1965 |
| 7450-7469, 7475-7481, 7501-7536 | - | - | EMD SD40 | 31929-31948, 33154-33160, 34779-34784, 36696-36705, 36746-36755, 37204-37213 | 7/1966-3/1971 |
| 8200-8222 | - | - | GE U30B | 38218-38227, 38475-38487 | 12/1971-12/1972 |
| 8223-8224 (ex-demonstrators #301-302) | - | - | GE U30B | 35880-35881 | 5/1966 |
| 8225-8234 | - | - | GE U30B | 40068-40077 | 12/1974 |
| 8235-8298 | - | - | GE B30-7 | 41897-41906, 42138-42147, 42279-42288, 42770-42783, 43256-43275 | 5/1978-5/1981 |
| 8553-8575, 8624-8643 | - | - | EMD SD50 | 837057-1 thru 837057-23, 857095-1 thru 857095-20 | 1/1984-11/1985 |
Chesapeake & Ohio E7A #4520 is ahead of train 26 as it departs Traverse City, Michigan for Grand Rapids in August, 1962. Rick Burn photo.Passenger Cab Units
| Original Road Number(s) | Second Road Number(s) | Third Road Number(s) | Builder/Model | Construction Number(s) | Date Built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 95-98 | 4520-4521 (ex-PM 95-96) | 1418-1419 | EMD E7A | 6262-6265 | 7/1948 |
| Pere Marquette 101-108 | 4510-4515 (ex-103-108) | 1414-1417 (ex-4512, 4515) | EMD E7A | 2911-2912, 4252-4255, 4722-4723 | 6/1946, 4/1947, 8/1947 |
| 4522-4523 (ex-PM 102, 98) | - | - | EMD E7A | 6265, 2912 | 7/1948, 6/1946 |
| 4000-4026 | 1468-1473 (ex-4003, 4016, 4025-4028) | - | EMD E8A | 14759-14785 | 8/1951-1/1952 |
| 4027-4030 | - | - | EMD E8A | 4027-4030 | 4/1953 |
| 8000-8013 | - | - | EMD FP7 | 16050-16063 | 2/1952-4/1952 |
| 8014-8015 | 7094-7095 | - | EMD FP7 | 17490-17491 | 12/1952 |
A trio of Chesapeake & Ohio GP35s, led by #3520 and #3566, work their train out of Rockwell Yard at Kedzie Avenue and 75th Street in Chicago on April 9, 1965. At the time of this photo the units were nearly new. Marty Bernard photo.Freight Cab Units
| Original Road Number(s) | Second Road Number(s) | Third Road Number(s) | Builder/Model | Construction Number(s) | Date Built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7000-7015 | - | - | EMD F7A | 9728-9743 | 9/1950 |
| 7016-7031 | - | - | EMD F7A | 11842-11857 | 9/1950 |
| 7032-7085 | - | - | EMD F7A | 15969-16022 | 1/1952-5/1952 |
| 7086-7093 | - | - | EMD F7A | 17264-17271 | 10/1952-11/1952 |
| 7500-7515 | - | - | EMD F7B | 11858-11873 | 9/1950 |
| 7516-7542 | - | - | EMD F7B | 16023-16049 | 1/1952 -5/1952 |
| 7543-7546 | - | - | EMD F7B | 17272-17275 | 10/1952-11/1952 |
| 8500-8506 | - | - | EMD F7B | 16064-16070 | 2/1952-4/1952 |
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