ABOVE LEFT: A full profile from the side shows EMD’s early attempt to make a dual purpose locomotive. Both sides have been somewhat relieved of sheet metal with extra windows in the cab facing rearward for switch- ing or transfer moves. BAR 51 was discovered in repose on the dead line in 1989. ABOVE RIGHT: Basic steps and footboards were the hallmark of the early diesels. Take note of the inside depth of the steps allowing for plenty of footwear room even in the nasti- est of winter weather conditions in northern Maine. RIGHT: From the rear of the engine compartment, the standard EMD 567B prime mover is indeed impressive. Quarters are tight but using a very wide angle lens makes it look like there is plenty of room for maintenance on this 1500 h.p. V16 engine. Steps lead to the cab; the back of the engineer’s chair can be seen through the door.
where utility was more important than streamlined good looks.
As much as an ugly duckling as one
could ask for, the BL2 was the first step in meeting the needs of a new market that was still being defined. It was no secret at the time that the popular F-units were starting to lose their pop- ularity, as they were captive to long- haul main line service. They lacked a sufficient view to the rear, and there was no place a crew member could stand or ride while switching or setting out cars with any amount of conven- ience. With the introduction of the BL2 in 1948, EMD tried to answer the call by introducing a locomotive that was as comfortable in switching freight trains as it was hauling passenger runs. To provide EMD’s answer to the road switcher question, the designers start- ed from a familiar platform as a refer- ence point. In essence, the BL-series
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was a F3 locomotive that was modified for the specific chore of light duty or fre- quent switching. In some ways the BL- series resembled the conventional cab unit with its full cowl body and cab. In- stead of the usual “bulldog” look as made popular on the F-series, the cab on the BL was moved back allowing for a short squared-off hood. Along the flanks from the cab rearward, the car- body was downsized on its upper half and with the addition of rear windows behind the engineer and fireman or brakeman, increased visibility allowed it to be operated bi-directionally. In the beginning, a wire lattice covered the side vents along the body; later this was changed to stamped sheet metal vents or louvers except for two of the larger panels, which kept the tradition- al mesh covering.
Except for the venting, you could not tell any variation in the overall design
of the BL1 and BL2, as all of the differ- ences were purely mechanical. For ex- ample, the initial prototype BL1 No. 499 was built around an air-actuated throttle, which meant it could not m.u. with other units. When this arrange- ment was modified to a standard elec- trically actuated throttle, the end re- sult was the
BL2. When the 58
production units were built, the throt- tle used was from the F3 series, which makes one wonder why they did not choose this in the first place. In concert with this type of throttle, the engine of choice was the 567B. With their experience with the Winton 201-A, EMD engineers enhanced the basic design features to arrive at an en- gine that would be dependable, strong and be very reliable throughout its life- time. Advancements in design were paramount with the 567B upping the ante on cylinder bore less than one full
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