Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Railroad Diesel Roster

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Diesel Roster for the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Railroad

Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O)

Below is a diesel locomotive roster for the Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) Railroad, organized by manufacturer and then by model. This roster includes the number of units the B&O owned for each model. There are numerous websites, books, and archived reference materials that include the details of each locomotive.

Electro-Motive Division (EMD)

  • EA/EB: The B&O were early adopters of passenger diesel technology. These early E-units were delivered starting in 1937.
    • Number of units: 6 two-unit sets (6 EA A units and 6 EB B units).
  • E6A/E6B: Following their initial E-units, the B&O acquired E6s for their passenger fleet.
    • Number of units: 12 E6As and 6 E6Bs.
  • E7A/E7B: These were a staple of the B&O’s postwar passenger service.
    • Number of units: 38 E7As and 12 E7Bs.
  • E8A/E8B: Delivered in the early 1950s, these were some of the final E-units purchased by the B&O.
    • Number of units: 20 E8As and 6 E8Bs.
  • E9A/E9B: A small number of these were acquired from the Union Pacific via the C&O merger.
    • Number of units: 2 E9As and 3 E9Bs.
  • F3A/F3B: These freight cab units were delivered in the mid-1940s.
    • Number of units: 18 F3As and 18 F3Bs.
  • F7A/F7B: The F7 was a workhorse for the B&O’s freight operations in the 1950s.
    • Number of units: 156 F7As and 126 F7Bs.
  • FT A/FT B: An early user of EMD’s FT freight locomotive.
    • Number of units: 10 FTAs and 10 FTBs.
  • GP7: A popular and versatile road switcher that became a workhorse for the B&O.
    • Number of units: 169.
  • GP9: An updated and more powerful version of the GP7, these were a mainstay on the B&O roster.
    • Number of units: 284.
  • GP30: The B&O was a major purchaser of this high-horsepower, “second-generation” road switcher.
    • Number of units: 108.
  • GP35: Continuing its trend of adopting new EMD technology, the B&O acquired the GP35.
    • Number of units: 22.
  • GP38: These reliable road switchers were purchased in the late 1960s.
    • Number of units: 20.
  • GP40: In the 1960s, the B&O was a leading purchaser of GP40s and pioneered wheel slip detection technology on them.
    • Number of units: 380 (purchased by the B&O and its successor companies).
  • NW2: The B&O used these popular yard switchers.
    • Number of units: 61.
  • SD7: A limited number of these six-axle road switchers were acquired, including one demonstrator.
    • Number of units: 5.
  • SD9: These six-axle units were added to the roster in the mid-1950s.
    • Number of units: 10.
  • SD24: Early six-axle, high-horsepower units for heavy-duty freight.
    • Number of units: 20.
  • SD35: The B&O bought 24 of these six-axle units.
    • Number of units: 24.
  • SW1: A small number of these early switchers were used by the B&O.
    • Number of units: 15.
  • SW7: A medium-duty switcher.
    • Number of units: 4.
  • SW9: These were delivered in the 1950s.
    • Number of units: 12.
  • SW1200: These were delivered in the late 1950s.
    • Number of units: 12. 

American Locomotive Company (ALCO)

  • RS-1: These versatile road switchers were acquired by the B&O, some via mergers.
    • Number of units: 2.
  • S-1: A light-duty switcher.
    • Number of units: 6.
  • S-2: A widely used switcher model on the B&O.
    • Number of units: 91.
  • S-4: An updated version of the S-2.
    • Number of units: 48.
  • FA-2/FB-2: Passenger and freight cab units from ALCO.
    • Number of units: 22 FA-2s and 19 FB-2s.
  • FPA-2: Passenger units from ALCO.
    • Number of units: 10.
  • RSD-12: Acquired later via the C&O merger.
    • Number of units: 10. 

Baldwin Locomotive Works

  • DS-4-4-1000: Baldwin switchers were used for yard work.
    • Number of units: 20.
  • RF-16 “Sharknose”: The B&O was a prominent user of these distinctive passenger and freight cab units.
    • Number of units: 22. 

Fairbanks-Morse

  • H-12-44: A popular switcher model built by Fairbanks-Morse.
    • Number of units: 4.
  • H-16-44: Road switchers built by FM that saw service on the B&O.
    • Number of units: 2.
  • H-24-66 “Train Master”: A few of these powerful, but complex, road switchers were acquired by the B&O.
    • Number of units: 2. 

General Electric

  • 44-tonner: This small industrial switcher saw service on various railroads, including the B&O, for light-duty tasks.
    • Number of units: 4. 

For More Information – Sources and Resources

The following are excellent resources for those of you wanting to explore and learn more about the history and operation of the Appalachian Railroads. These sources of information also serve as reference and historical materials for Appalachian-Railroads.org. Much of the collective railroad history data points on this website are verified across multiple sources.

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