Tag Archives: #BL2

Butt End of a BL2—Northern Maine Junction

In July 1983, I was on an early solo adventure by automobile, and was driving my family’s gray 1978 Ford Grenada. On the advice of my friend Bob Buck, I called into Bangor & Aroostook’s yard and shop at Northern Maine Junction, where the railroad was happy to give me permission to wander around and make photos.

I had several cameras with me, including my venerable Leica IIIa with 50mm, that I’d loaded with Kodak 5063—Tri-X (ASA 400).

I made a variety of studies of the locomotives and equipment, including this unusual angle of an EMD BL2, F3A and GP38. Rarely have I seen images that clearly focus on the back-end of a BL2 and I’m glad I used the light that day to make this view.

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Back End of an Odd Locomotive

Electro-Motive Division’s BL2 was one of the strangest looking diesels of the mid-20th century.

On my visit to Bangor & Aroostook’s Northern Maine Junction yard (near Bangor, Maine) in July 1983, I made a variety of photos of stored diesels.

At the time, most of Bangor & Aroostook’s BL2 and F3 fleet was out of service. I was fascinated by these antiques.

Working with my Leica 3A, I made this study of the rear-end of BL2 number 55 surrounded by other stored diesels.

Although bizarre in appearance, EMD’s BL2 was mechanically and electrically very similar to the model F3,

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