Streamlined Diesel

B&O Diesel-Electric Locomotive #51, Model EA, built in 1937 by General Motors, Electro-Motive Corp. (GM-EMC), preserved and on display at the B&O Railroad Museum. The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) was one of the first railroads in the country to adopt diesel-electric locomotives for its passenger trains in the 1930s. Arriving in 1937, the No. 51 EA was the B&O's first streamlined locomotive. Custom painted for the B&O in blue and grey, the EA unit had an elevated cab and sloping "bulldog" nose. The new design provided collision protection for the crew, was popular among travelers, and set a stylistic precedent for future GM-EMC (later GM-EMD) locomotives. The No. 51 was one of six two-unit sets that were placed in service on the "Capitol Limited." These new hardworking locomotives were capable of burning fuel more efficiently than steam engines and required less maintenance. The B&O was so pleased with the performance of the No. 51 and its sisters that they decided to order 12 additional models from GM-EMD. One of the No. 51's fellow locomotives was so successful that it operated an entire year on the "Capitol Limited" Washington to Chicago run without missing a trip.