Baltimore & Ohio EA No. 51, built by EMC in 1937, recently restored to its as-delivered condition by the B&O Railroad Museum, Baltimore, Maryland.
In the 1930s, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) became one of the first railroads in the country to adopt diesel-electric locomotives for its passenger trains. Built in 1937, the No. 51 was the first streamlined diesel-electric locomotive in the world. Custom painted for the B&O in blue and grey, this EA unit featured an innovative elevated cab with sloping "bulldog" nose. The new design provided enhanced collision protection and was popular among travelers for its deco design. The No. 51 was one of six two-unit sets that were placed in service on the all-Pullman "Capitol Limited" trains and other premier trains. These new hardworking locomotives were capable of burning fuel more efficiently than steam engines and required less maintenance, foreshadowing the dieselization of the entire fleet and the end of steam. One of the No. 51's sister locomotives was so successful that it operated an entire year on the "Capitol Limited" route from Washington, DC to Chicago without missing a trip. Further, the new streamlined look helped the railroad rebrand itself to appear more modern in order to better compete with the increasingly dominant passenger airline industry. In 1953, the No. 51 was sent back to General Motors as part of a trade-in program, where it was stripped of its usable machinery and sent to the newly opened Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Transportation Museum.
After a five-year cosmetic restoration project that returned the locomotive to its original 1937 colors and livery, the No. 51 returned to public view in January 2021. By utilizing original archival engineering blueprints and historic tools, the No. 51 was taken down to its skeleton and completely restored through metalwork, carpentry, and reconstructed painting and detailing.
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