How long did the C&O BL2's stay on the Roster? Where did they end up? The Western Maryland BL2's almost made it to CSX, with #81 serving yard duty in Hagerstown and Cumberland until 1983 or so. Just curious as to when the C&O BL2's left the roster and where they went after that.
All C&O GP30s were traded in to EMD on GP30s in August 1962. Data from Extra 2200 South issues #33 & #46. The rosters did not note final disposition, but likely to Pielet Brothers for scrap.
Just an interesting note that after the C&O BL2s were traded in to EMD in August of 1962, their trucks went on GP30s numbers 3002 to 3015. None of the C&O units were preserved, but I heard that two of the Western Maryland BL2s were preserved. I do know that WM 7172 was working Hagerstown in August of 1983.
The BL2's were replaced in favor of the new GP-30's, none of them made it to chessie, or CSX for that matter. They were among the least favorite locomotives on the roster, for that reason they remained captive on the PM district. A photo of one of them run long hood forward with the crew both hanging out of the windows almost 3 feet away from the cab is quite comical. As an aside note, the GP30's were some of the most liked engines on the C&O, and the U-25bs were hated by coal-shifter crews because of there tendency to slip and buck on a heavy train.
Yes sir - a Western Maryland BL2 was working Hagerstown MD in the early 1980's. The book C&O BL2 Diesels by John C. Paton has a photo of no. 7172 (was 82) at Hagerstown working the yard on August 1, 1983. So while it never was painted in Chessie colors, this BL2 definitely made it well into the Chessie era.
WM #82 is still working.....it went to the South Branch Valley Railroad in the mid eighties and was used some there after the 1985 flood, the state sent it to Cass for storage on the old C&O line and it sat in storage there for a good 10 years before it was pulled out of the woods and overhauled for work on the West Virginia Central. It has since been repainted. Lately it has been used mostly handling the freight chores on the WVC while the FP7/F7B/FA2 work the passenger, although sometimes it does end up working with the passenger trains too. It was sent to Ohio somewhere for wheel replacement back in '03 or 04 and CSX ended up using it in service for a few days at Queensgate yard, from what I heard. I am kind of surprised that the BL2 was sent by rail because the BL2's are notorious for their weak frame designs. I wasnt sure if It could handle being a locomotive in the consist at the head end of a train.
OK, I'll come clean. That photo was staged among others that I took at Queensgate. I was working at the yard when 82 was being moved into position for the trip east to Huntington. It had been brought to Cincinnati by mistake, so me and a few folks in management decided to have a little fun with it. We posed it in various places around the yard to make it look like we were using it. The fact of the matter was that it was not running and simply another piece of equipment being moved around. But darn we got some neat pics! That engine was treated like royalty by the employees of Queensgate. So much so that the Pit Foreman personally cleaned the windows and cab. There were dozens of photos taken by the guys during it's brief visit. It was a real treat for everyone to see her.
I still haven't converted either of my N BL2s to Micro Trains couplers yet - haven't been able to find the kit in yellow yet... That's a nice shot of your BL2!
