Chicago and Eastern Illinois NW2 No. 125 in Chicago Heights, IL on March 31, 1964.

(Roger Puta, courtesy Marty Bernard, railfan 44, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

 

EMC - EMD NW2 DIESEL-ELECTRIC SWITCHER LOCOMOTIVE

The EMD NW2 is a 1,000 hp (750 kW), B-B switcher locomotive manufactured by EMC and later General Motors Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois. From February 1939 to December 1949, EMD produced 1,145 NW2s: 1,121 for U.S. and 24 for Canadian railroads. Starting in late 1948, the NW2s were manufactured in EMD's Plant No. 3 in Cleveland, Ohio. The locomotives were powered by a 12-cylinder model 567 engine and later a model 567A engine. In addition, EMD built three TR cow-calf paired sets, 36 TR2 cow-calf paired sets, and two TR3 cow-calf-calf sets. The TR sets were built before World War II; the TR2 and TR3 sets afterward.

 

Identification

Distinguishing features include two stacks in the middle of the hood, a half-height radiator grille, no sand box on the front platform, and no small louvers at the top front corners of the sides of the hood. The predecessor of the NW2 was the NW1. The "N" in NW1 stands for the nine in nine hundred hp (670 kW). The "W" in both models stands for "welded frame".

 

M-K-T EMD NW2 No. 1029 (built in 1947) at the Wichita Falls Railroad Museum, Wichita Falls, TX.

(Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

 

Original owners

NW2

Railroad Quantity Road Numbers Notes
Appalachicola Northern Railroad 4 701–704 Sold 11-70 to Clinchfield Railroad #357-360, retired by Clinchfield 1980, 357-358 traded to GE, 359-360 sold to Clinchfield Coal Company
Arkansas and Louisiana Missouri Railway 1 10
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway 15 2353–2367 Renumbered 2403–2417
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad 6 601, 603, 605, 611, 613, 615 600,611,613,615 Renumbered 600-602,604, 600-605 to Seaboard Coast Line Railroad 20-25
Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal Railroad 3 409–411 Renumbered 9509–9511
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad 49 400–408, 550–589 Renumbered 9500–9508, 9542-9551, 9512–9541
Bangor and Aroostook Railroad 4 800–803 Renumbered 20–23
Boston and Maine Railroad 14 1200–1213
Canadian National Railways 20 7936–7945, 7956–7965
Central of Georgia Railway 2 20, 25 renumbered 1016-1017
Central Railroad of New Jersey 2 1060–1061
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway 41 1850–1856, 5200–5213, 5060–5079 1850-1856 renumbered 9558-9564
Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad 6 119–124 119 renumbered 125, 120-125 renumbered 1029-1034, then 1029, 1033, 1034 to Louisville & Nashville 2207-2209
Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad 2 250–251 250 to Acme-Newport Steel 2, 251 to Roscoe, Snyder & Pacific 300
Chicago Great Western Railway 17 16–31, 42 to Chicago and North Western Railway 16-31, 42, 16-30, 42 renumbered 1017-1020, 1022–1032, 1016, 1033, 31 to East Camden & Highland 61
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad 46 9203–9248 to Burlington Northern 500-545
Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railway (“Monon”) 7 DS-1, DS-2, DS-3, 14–17 DS-1, DS-2, DS-3 renumbered 11–13
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (“Milwaukee Road”) 8 1647–1654 Renumbered 665–672
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad 10 765–774
Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway 1 70 to Chicago and North Western Railway 70
Colorado and Southern Railway 4 150–153 to Burlington Northern. Same
Conemaugh and Black Lick Railroad 3 100–102
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad 5 461–465 to Erie Lackawanna Railroad 441-445
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad 1 7000 Renumbered 100
Detroit Terminal Railroad 11 104–112, 114–115
Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad 7 910–916
Electro-Motive Division (demonstrator) 1 889 to Union Pacific 1000
Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway 40 403–407, 409–443
Erie Railroad 27 401–427 to Erie Lackawanna 401-427
Fort Worth and Denver City Railway 3 603, 605–606 to Burlington Northern. Same
Fort Worth Belt Railway 1 2 to Missouri Pacific Railroad 1020
Georgia Railroad 5 901–905
Grand Trunk Western Railroad 24 7900–7914, 7966–7974 7974 built as Central Vermont Railway 7974
Great Northern Railway 51 5302–5331, 5334-5336, 145–162 5302–5336 renumbered 102–135, to Burlington Northern 450-499
Illinois Central Railroad 17 9150–9166 Renumbered 1000–1016
Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad 78 8715–8739, 8774–8802, 8811–8834 8715 to Peoria & Eastern 8907 (2nd), 8797 to New York Central 8926 (2nd) then Penn Central 8926, 8794, 8795, 8792-8802 to New York Central same numbers, then to Penn Central same numbers
Indiana Northern Railway 1 100 to NJI&I 2, then Wabash 353, then N&W 3353
Jacksonville Terminal 7 30–36
Kansas City Southern Railway 32 1100–1102, 1125–1126, 1200–1226 1125–1126, 1212-1221 were Louisiana & Arkansas
Kansas, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway 1 1001 to Texas & Pacific Railroad 1027
Lake Champlain and Moriah Rail Road 1 19
Lake Superior Terminal and Transfer Railway 5 100–104
Lake Terminal Railroad 20 1001–1020
Lehigh Valley Railroad 7 180–186
Louisville and Nashville Railroad 5 2240–2244 Renumbered 2215–2219
Manistee and Northeastern Railway 2 2–3 to Chesapeake and Ohio Railway 5297-5298
Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad 2 80–81
Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway 2 D-139, D-740 Renumbered 100, 101 to Chicago & North Western Ry 100, 201, renumbered 1036, 1021
Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad (“Soo Line”) 2 300, 301
Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad (Wisconsin Central Railway) 1 2108
Missouri Pacific Railroad 3 9104–9106 9104, 9106 renumbered 1021, 1022
Missouri–Illinois Railroad 1 51 to Missouri Pacific Railroad 1028
Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad 5 1026–1030 Renumbered 7–11
Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway 5 20–23, 25 25 renumbered 19; to Louisville and Nashville Railroad 2119-2123, renumbered 2210-2214
New York Central Railroad 57 8700–8714, 8740–8773, 8803–8810 8705-8714, 8740-8749 were Pittsburgh & Lake Erie, 8700-8704, 8750-8773, 8803-8810 to Penn Central same numbers
New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (“Nickel Plate Road”) 16 7–22
New York, Ontario and Western Railway 21 111–131 115 to Northern Pacific Railway 99, 111-113 to Unadilla Valley Railway 111-113, then to Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific 795-797, remainder to New York Central Railroad 9500-9516, renumbered 8683-8699, to Penn Central 8683-8699
Northern Pacific Railway 6 101–106 99, 102-106 to Burlington Northern 586-592
Pennsylvania Railroad 32 3909, 5921–5925, 9155–9176, 9247–9250 3909 renumbered 5912, then 5912 renumbered 8677, 5921-5925 renumbered 8651-8654, 8678, 9155-9176 renumbered 8655-8676, 9247-9250 renumbered 8647-8650, to Penn Central as 8647-8678
Peoria and Pekin Union Railway 6 400–405
Pere Marquette Railway 14 51–64 to Chesapeake and Ohio Railway 5275-5278, 5280-5282, 9565, 5284-5289
Phelps Dodge Corporation, Lavender Pit 2 1–2 to Morenci Mine 1 (2nd), 2 (2nd)
Phelps Dodge Corporation, Morenci Mine 4 5–8
Phelps Dodge Corporation, New Cornelia Branch Mine 7 1–5, 3 (second) 4 (second) 1, 2, 3 (1st), 4 (1st) to Morenci Mine 1-4, Morenci Mine 1, 2 returned to New Cornelia Branch 1, 2, Morenci Mine 3, 4 then to Lavender Pit 3, 4, then returned to New Cornelia Branch 3 (third), 4 (third), 5 to Lavender Pit 5, returned to New Cornelia Branch 5
Philadelphia, Bethlehem and New England Railroad 8 219, 222–225, 26–28 219, 222–225 renumbered 21–25
Reading Company 8 90–92, 100–104
Republic Steel Corporation 1 D-815
River Terminal Railway 1 60
Seaboard Air Line Railroad 7 1406–1412 1406–1407, 1409-1412 to Seaboard Coast Line Railroad 31-36
Southern Pacific Company 50 1310–1319, 1403–1425, 72–88 72-88 were Texas & New Orleans, 1310–1319, 72-88, 1403-1425 renumbered 1904-1953
Southern Railway 69 2200–2204, 2206–2207, 2233–2284, 6050–6056, 6850, 6851, 8560 6050-6056 were Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific, 6850-6851 were New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad, 8560 was St. Johns River Terminal, 2235 renumbered 6504, then 2200-2204, 2206, 2207, 2233, 2234, 2236–2284, 6050-6056, 6504, 6850, 6851, 6560 renumbered 1018-1086
Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway 3 40–42 to Burlington Northern 593–595
St. Louis Southwestern Railway 4 1050–1053 Renumbered to 1900-1903
St. Louis–San Francisco Railway 16 250–265
Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad 3 900–902
Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis 17 551–567
Texas and Pacific Railway 20 1000–1019
Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway 4 51–54
Tucson, Cornelia and Gila Bend Railroad 1 52
Union Pacific Railroad 95 1001–1095
Union Railroad 20 536–555
United States Navy, Fallbrook Naval Ammunition Depot 4 1–4
United States Navy, Hawthorne, Nevada 1 44
Wabash Railroad 3 350–352 to Norfolk and Western Railway 3350–3352, 3350 to Des Moines Union Railway 7
West Virginia Northern Railroad 2 50–51
Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway 4 D-1–D-4 to New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad 95-98, NKP 95-97 then to Wabash 347-349, NKP 98 to Des Moines Union 5, WAB 347 then to Des Moines Union Railway 6, 348-349 to Norfolk & Western 3348-3349
Wheeling Steel Company 1 1251
Total 1,145

EMD TR No. 9205.

Original caption: "Chicago, Illinois. One of the giant diesel-electric locomotives at work at an Illinois Central"

This is one of the three TR locomotives built. Serial number 9205. November 1942.

(Jack Delano, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

 

TR

Railroad Quantity Road numbers Notes
Illinois Central Railroad 3 sets 9203AB–9205AB renumbered 1026AB-1027AB, 1075, 1235

TR2 (cow-calf)

Railroads Quantity Road numbers Notes
Electro-Motive Division (demonstrator) 1 set 912AB to CB&Q 9400AB, rebuilt to NW2's, to Burlington Northern 546-547
Belt Railway of Chicago 2 sets 500AB, 501AB renumbered 500, 510, 501, 511
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad 13 sets 9401AB–9413AB rebuilt to NW2's, to Burlington Northern 548-573
Chicago and North Western Railway 2 sets 2000AB, 2001AB 2000A, 2001A renumbered 1009, 1010, 2000B, 2001B to slugs BU-4, BU-5
Chicago Great Western Railroad 9 sets 58AB–66AB to Chicago & North Western 58AB-66AB, 58A-61A, 63A-65A renumbered 1035, 1000, 1034, 1011, 1015, 1013, 1014, 58B-61B, 63B-65B renumbered 1106, 1107, 1105, 1101, 1104, 1102, 1103
Illinois Central Railroad 3 sets 9206AB–9208AB renumbered 1028AB-1030AB
Milwaukee Road 1 set 2000AB renumbered 696AB
Southern Railway 5 sets 2400AB–2404AB renumbered 2400/2450-2404/2454
Total 36 sets

TR3 (cow-calf-calf)

Railroad Quantity Road numbers Notes
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway 2 sets 6500ABC, 6501ABC renumbered 9552, 9554, 9556, 9555, 9557, 9553, then 9553, 9555-9557 to Chicago South Shore and South Bend 606, 602-604, returned to Chesapeake & Ohio 9553, 9555-9557, then 9552-9557 to Baltimore & Ohio 9552-9557

KCS 1101 with a short train near the depot, July 30, 1967.
(Roger Puta, courtesy Marty Bernard, railfan 44, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

 

Overview

Type and origin
Power type: Diesel-electric
Builder: EMC and later General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD)
Model: NW2
Build date: February 1939 - December 1949
Total produced: 1,145
Specifications
Configuration:
​• AAR B-B
Gauge: 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Length: 44 feet
Prime mover: EMD 567
Engine type: V12
Generator: D4, D15 used in late 1949 production
Traction motors: 4 D7
Cylinders: 12
Performance figures
Power output: 1,000 hp (750 kW)

 

Hillsdale County Railroad NW2 No. 1976 in Bicentennial paint in Hillsdale, Michigan in 1978.

(Tim_kd5urs, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)