ID a Engine for me.


pappywolf

New Member
Hey, newbe to some train engines. Can anyone tell me what typ of engine this is. It is HO Life Like from China. Thanks
 
It's a BL-2, don't know how many road used it but don't believe it was very common. Most model engines are made in China now, unfortunately.
 
I known of two roads that used BL2's: The C&O and the Western Maryland (There's a WM unit sitting in the B&O museum). I can't say for certain, but it may have been an experimental "form-follows-function" body type tried by EMD for use on branch lines and other places where a lot of switching needed to be done. Once the GP7 came along there was no longer any need for this model.
 
A little history of EMD's ill-fated first attempt in the road switcher market.
The first attempt was the BL-1 which is the forerunner of the BL-2.Only one BL-1 was built it share the same carbody as the BL-2.There was 58 BL-2s built.
The biggest problem with the BL-2 was the view from the cab while switching.Unlike the Alco RS1 and RS2 the engineer could not see the switchmen on the ground from the cab of the BL-2..Here is a unit that EMD's design engineers did not like,the sales department did not like and above all the railroads did not like because they felt the BL-2 was no more then a modified F7 with the same basic view problems.. Long time Editor of Trains magazine Dave P.Morgan would comment the BL-2 look like a cross between a Borden milk car and a cab unit.Of course the failure of the BL-2 in sales led to the development EMD's GP7s by EMD's Chief Design Engineer Dick Dilworth..
But that is another stoy.:D
 
You guys are great ! Thanks so much for your info. Question, I can not find another engine like this, is this a hard to find HO engine ? Thanks again
 
I have to say so too. It sure is a homely looking engine. I have never seen one. That is why I could not ID the engine. Thanks
 
Cjcrescent said:
Hate to disappoint you Josh. They're from Germany. As a result some people called them Kraut-Machines!:D
I stand corrected, I thought it was Russia, hummm...
 
pappywolf said:
Hey, I found a few of them on ebay. thanks all
I just looked on e-bay. Wow, there are some very pricey ones out there in the e-bay stores. I just wanted to say that they couldn't give these things away in the hobby stores for $39.99. I think I got mine for $19. I would really not recommend paying the $69 that I see some of these people asking, they are NOT rare and definitely not worth that much.

But I guess if you are getting one for "collector value" be certain to get one in the original brown/gold colored box. The blue box ones are a more recent run.
 
Yea, I got mine for $19.00 too. Thats not bad. Hey I bought a Riverossi Big Boy #4005, 1970 or 71. It has a broken cow catcher on it. Do they make a repair kit or some place to get spare parts ? Thanks all
 
pappywolf said:
Yea, I got mine for $19.00 too. Thats not bad. Hey I bought a Riverossi Big Boy #4005, 1970 or 71. It has a broken cow catcher on it. Do they make a repair kit or some place to get spare parts ? Thanks all

If that is all that is broke, Precision Scale Company and Cal-scale both make detail parts out of brass and plastic. They both have several versions of the pilot (cowcatcher) available.

Precision Scale- http://www.precisionscaleco.com/

Cal-Scale- http://www.bowser-trains.com/
 



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