Chesapeake & Ohio Diesel Roster: All-Time

Published: October 3, 2023

The Chesapeake & Ohio 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.

Photos

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

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

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

Electro-Motive Database

In 1998 a gentleman by the name of Andre Kristopans put together a web page highlighting virtually every unit out-shopped by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division.

Alas, in 2013 the site closed. However, Don Strack rescued the data and transferred it over to his UtahRails.net site (another fine resource).

If you are researching anything EMD related please visit this page first. The information includes original numbers, serials, and order numbers.

Researching Rights-Of-Way

A popular pastime for many is studying and/or exploring abandoned rights-of-way.

Today, there are tens of thousands of miles scattered throughout the country. Many were pulled up in the 1970's and 1980's although others were removed long before that.