#2851
EMD BL2
🇺🇸 United States ·built by Electro-Motive Diesel· from 1947· model of 1500 hp American diesel locomotive
3 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. Janesville & Southeastern BL2, at NRM, Green Bay, 20040426: The original uploader was Slambo at English Wikipedia .· CC BY-SA 2.0
- 2. BL2 early 1: Alcotrains· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 3. Stourbridge Line BL2 Number 54: Kether83· CC BY-SA 4.0
what is it?
The EMD BL2 is a model of diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD). A total of 58 units (plus a single BL1) were built between 1947 and 1949. The BL2 was not very successful, as it was unreliable and occupied a gap between carbody and hood units, which resulted in it suffering from the drawbacks of both designs.
who runs it
base stats
Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.
fun facts
- First built 79 years ago, in 1947.
- 1.1 MW is about 13 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
diesel locomotive: A diesel engine on board drives the wheels, usually through a generator (diesel-electric).
spec sheet
- built
- 1947–1949
- number built
- 59
- kind
- Diesel-electric
- traction
- diesel
- origin
- 🇺🇸 United States
- builders
- Electro-Motive Diesel
- operators
- Florida East Coast Railway, Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, Western Maryland Railway, Boston and Maine Railroad, Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad, Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, Electro-Motive Diesel, Monon Railroad, Missouri Pacific Railroad, Bangor and Aroostook Railroad
- top speed
- —
- power
- 1.1 MW
- gauge
- 1,435 mm standard gauge
- wheel arrangement
- B-B
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q5323394, Wikipedia: EMD BL2 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.