EMD BL1 and BL2

What is the story behind the development and production of the BL1 and the BL2's? Please advise about the success rate (or lack thereof) of this locomotive and why some roads decided to buy or not to buy them. Thanks so much.

Here's a page with a decent amount of information, which answers many of your questions.

http://exotic.railfan.net/BL2.htm

The BL1/BL2 (there was very little difference between the first (and only) BL1 and the subsequent BL2 models) were not really successful, althought I guess some do all right now on tourist train...

A very interesting fact about an existing BL2 is the outstanding performance of former Western Maryland BL2 #82, which operates on the former WM, now the West Virginia Central, in Elkins, West Virginia. This locomotive went to the West Virginia State Rail Authority who operated it on the South Branch Valley Railroad, in Moorefield, WV. As with all of their locomotives, they ran the BL2 into the ground, and declared it no longer operational. The SRA was goin to scrap the locomotive, but Mr. John Smith convinced the state to move it to the WVC, the other state owned railroad. The shop men at the SBV said that it would take (i think) $200,000 the repair the BL2 to operation. The WVC mechanics, Tim Cochran and Jack Sanford returned the BL2 to operation with less than $2000. It has been operating ever since. It did go to CSX's Huntington Shops for some work to the trucks and prime mover, though. An interesting fact about it is that compared to the EMD FP7 that the Central operates, it is said that the BL2 outpulls it, no contest, as the passenger unit was built for speed, and the BL2 was built for heavy freight service. The line out of Elkins traverses quite steep grades, as part of the line was actually built for Shay steam locomotives of a logging railroad. More later...
Keith

The Western Maryland BL2's are very unique. They received an extensive mid-life electrical modernization and upgrade, done by the railroad at the Hagerstown Shop, and their electrical control systems and equipment were improved significantly. They were very capable and reliable locomotives when the Western Maryland was operating them. The staff at Hagerstown in the 1960s and 1970s were very skilled and innovative, and the excellent performance of their older locomotives reflected the fine job they did maintaining their equipment.

Sir Ray wrote:Here's a page with a decent amount of information, which answers many of your questions.

http://exotic.railfan.net/BL2.htm

The BL1/BL2 (there was very little difference between the first (and only) BL1 and the subsequent BL2 models) were not really successful, althought I guess some do all right now on tourist train...

If you follow the hyperlink Sir Ray provides you will find the only significant difference between the BL1 and BL2 is that the BL1 was built with an air throttle. This throttle would not work in multiple unit with other units and was abandoned by EMD.

I remember seeing the BL-2s in Tuscola, IL on the C&EI in the 50s.
Does anyone know if the C&EI ever used one for passenger service? Or whether any C&EI units survived?

The C&EI BL-1 and BL-2s were traded to EMD for three GP30s in 1963.

Does anyone else have any memories of BL2's in revenue service? I have an old homemade video tape of the Western Maryland BL2's and their slug mates in service at Hagerstown, Maryland. It is really neat. The old EMD 567 (?)prime mover in it puts off beautiful music. It was also a pleasure to work on WM BL2 #82 on the West Virginia Central in Elkins, West Virginia. Does any one else have a tale about an operating BL2?

Many years ago I went out for a day riding a local on the Bangor & Aroostook, I believe it was to Sherman. We had two BL2 units for the power. We pulled into a siding for a meet and the engineer advised me to watch for the approaching train, that this meet was going to be "interesting". Sure enough when the other job pulled into sight his locomotive lashup consisted of ALL the other BL2 units on the roster operating together. It was indeed a very interesting meet.

What a neat story! how many BL2's did the Bangor and Aroostook have? I have often heard it said that a design flaw in the frame of the BL2 prevented it from being MU'ed between other models of diesel locomotives, lest the frames become twisted and cracked. It was alright to MU them with other locomotives as long as the BL2 was on the outside, not sandwiched between other models. It was also alright to MU them with one another. Why was this? What caused this problem?

Thanks a lot!
Keith

Was the air throttle ala Baldwin, with essentially a pressure regulator in the control stand and a cylinder against a return spring on the governor? Or was it a "grasshopper motor" system, with A, B, C, D valves, like on the earlier Es, Fs, and MU equipped switchers. Anyone know for sure?

The Bangor and Aroostook originally had eight BL2's. BL2 number 53 was wrecked around 1972, and there were seven at the time that I saw them all together at the meet. The southbound train's lashup was five of them.

The Bangor and Aroostook surely never heard anything about these mythical restrictions on how many BL2's you can operate together or in a lashup with other power. I have many slides of their BL2's in five and six unit power lashups with all types of other power the railroad operated. In many of these a BL2 is positioned closest to the train, where the forces on the draft gear would be the highest.

There is unfortunately getting to be more and more incorrect information circulating about first generation diesels, a situation that will only become worse as the people who designed and worked on them pass away. The publication of outrightly erroneous information seems to be steadily increasing. A lot of this seems to be coming from the rush to mass-produce poorly researched railroad books. This has attracted some glory seeking authors who know little or nothing about operating the equipment, and haven't made any effort to learn. Some of them cannot even repeat correctly the information they "borrowed" from the work of others. You can tell which authors are writing "fluff" books by looking at the listings of recent color books on eBay. Notice the ones that originally came out with $50 to $70 retail prices, that now are going for $5 to $15. Some of this stuff is so poor they can't get people to buy it when they offer it almost for free.

Well, I think what was being said was that the air throttle, as opposed to the electric controlled throttle, prevented multiple unit control in early models, which makes good sense. However, the construction of the frame in the BL2 did prevent the operation of these locomotives [i]between[/i] other models of diesel lcomotives. Those with electrically controlled models could be mu'ed together as many units as the railroad wanted, and they could be mu'ed with other types of locomotives, as long as the BL2(s) either lead or trailed.

I frequently saw and rode four and five units lashups on the Bangor & Aroostook where BL2 units were randomly positioned in the middle, sandwiched in between F-units and other power. This was common practice, particularly in the winter, because the F-units pilot contour tends to deflect snow to the sides better than the BL2. They had no restrictions that required the BL2 units to be in the lead or the trailing unit positions.