NORTH JUDSON, Ind. — The Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum will add two rare EMD BL2 locomotives to its collection through a lease with the engines’ private owner.
The two locomotives, built in 1949 for Maine’s Bangor & Aroostock Railroad, previously operated on New York’s Saratoga & North Creek Railway. Only 59 of the locomotives were built, seven of which have been preserved. They are currently painted in a blue, gray, and yellow scheme somewhat reminiscent of the Delaware & Hudson.
BL2s have ties to Indiana, as the Monon operated the second-largest fleet of the 1,500-hp units.
“There has been a great deal of speculation online about these locomotives,” Kyle Flanigan, Hoosier Valley museum secretary, said in a press release. “At this time, we have no plans to repaint them. Railfans will get the opportunity to photograph the units in their current paint scheme.”
The locomotives are en route from New York to North Judson on their own wheels. They will join the museum’s existing fleet of switchers for use on tourist trains, but both will need work from the museum’s mechanical department before entering service.
For more on the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum, visit the museum’s website.
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