BL2 Info

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

I think I know the answer to this, but I wanted to ask. Since it looks like the BL2 was designed to be run in either dicrection, did the C&O and Western Maryland ever run them in reverse?

2

Monon also had BL2’s, but I don’t recall ever seeing them run cab to rear when leading. It may have happened on other roads on branchline turns when a turntable or wye was not available at the end of the branch.

3

The photos I’ve seen of the BL-2’s on the WM seem to always show them running short hood first and usually as the pair (81-82). When they were removed from road service and based in the yard they were normally coupled to a home-built slug on their long hood ends.

Roger

4

IIRC, the BL2 wasn’t designed so much to be able to run in reverse in every-day operation, as it was to have better visability during switching. As such, I think it would be unlikely that either RR would run them out on the mains in reverse.

Brian Pickering

5

On the C&O, this was done frequently. There weren’t a lot of turning facilities on the secondary lines the C&O’s BL2s operated over.

During the winter of 1959, C&O BL2 #1844 was pushing a snowplow down the line between Holland and Allegan, Michigan. Near Hamilton, the snowplow struck ice in the flangeways at a grade crossing and rode up onto the nose of the engine, crushing its short hood and cab. Somehow, the engine crew wasn’t killed. After that wreck, the C&O made it its policy that any time that a BL2 was used in plow service, it had to run long-hood first when shoving a snowplow.

-Fritz Milhaupt
Web Guy and Modeling Editor, Pere Marquette Historical Society, Inc.
http://www.pmhistsoc.org

6

I’ve got a related question. When was the BL2 introduced? Thanks for the help guys.

Dave

7

Dave wrote:

“I’ve got a related question. When was the BL2 introduced? Thanks for the help guys.”

BL1 2/1948
BL2 4/1948-5/1949

Eric

8

The BL2 was a carbody unit (F7A) trying to be a road switcher, and it shows in the construction. Like a carbody unit, the underframe did not carry all the weight and a bridge truss along the sides carried much of the load. Consequently, it was expensive to build and not that easy to maintain since access to the engine, main generator, etc. was difficult.