Power type Diesel-electric Total produced 1145 | Model NW2 AAR wheel arr. B-B | |
 | ||
Builder General Motors
Electro-Motive Division (EMD) Build date February 1939 - December 1949 | ||
The EMD NW2 is a 1,000 hp (750 kW), B-B switcher locomotive manufactured by General Motors Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois. The NW2 was manufactured from February 1939 to December 1949, and 1145 were produced – 1121 for the U.S., and 24 were exported to Canada. Starting in late 1948 the NW2s were manufactured in EMD's Plant #3 in Cleveland, Ohio. The 1,000 hp (750 kW) was achieved by using a 12-cylinder, model 567, and later, a model 567A engine. In addition, 3 TR cow-calf paired sets, 36 TR2 cow-calf paired sets, and 2 TR3 cow-calf-calf sets were produced. The TR sets were built prior to World War II and the TR2 and TR3 sets were built postwar.
Contents
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.
Surviving and preserved units
Many NW2's survive today. One NW2 is operated by the Midland Railway in Baldwin City, Kansas. It is privately owned. It is ex-Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad #9227. It is used mainly for work trains. The Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway of Illinois and Indiana operates an NW2 cow/calf unit in its Joliet railyard. The Indiana Harbor Belt who operated near 80 still operates two.
Lake Superior Terminal and Transfer Railway 101 is unrestored at the Minnesota Transportation Museum.
Chicago & North Western donated NW2 1003 and TR2B 1103 to the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad in 1986, as a cow-calf set. 1003 was originally Grand Trunk Western Railroad 7914, and 1103 was originally Chicago Great Western Railway 65B. 1003 operates, but 1103 is unrestored.
Western Pacific Railroad 608, originally built as Union Pacific Railroad D.S. 1001 is today preserved at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum at Portola, California. This locomotive is part of the popular Run-A-Locomotive program. It was the Union Pacific's second wholly owned diesel.
Southern Pacific Railroad 1423 is preserved and operated by the Niles Canyon Railway near Fremont, California.
Reading Company NW2 #103 is owned by the Reading Company Technical & Historical Society, and is today preserved in restored and operational status at the Reading Railroad Heritage Museum in Hamburg, PA.
Union Pacific Railroad D.S. 1011 and D.S. 1043 are preserved and operated by the Heber Valley Railroad in Heber City, Utah.
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) NW2 #1649 is preserved and operated by the Monticello Railway Museum in Monticello, Illinois.
New York Ontario & Western Railroad #116 survives - was owned by Delaware & Otsego president Walter Rich and used on the New York Susquehanna & Western. It was painted in NYO&W colors, it was retired in the mid-2000s (decade) and was bequeathed to the Delaware and Ulster Railroad DURR upon Walter Rich's death.
EOLX #15, a restored EMD NW-2 operated by Florida Rail Adventures provides service for the Mount Dora Meteor in Mount Dora, FL. The locomotive saw service 3 to 5 days a week on the Sorrento Branch, from Mt. Dora, FL to Tavares, FL.
Union Pacific D.S. 1000 (originally EMC demonstrator 889 and later Western Pacific 607) is preserved and operating on the Nevada State Railroad Museum, Boulder City, painted as "Nevada Southern 1000".
Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe 2404 (originally 2354) is stored unrestored by the California State Railroad Museum.