HO Scale Brass Model by Oriental Limited. Union Pacific EMD E2 B Unit Diesel Engine. This is an extremely rare addition as unlike the A-Unit set, less than 40 brass models of these spare B-units were made by Oriental Limited. These diesels were used by the Southern Pacific, Union Pacific, and Chicago and Northwestern Railway, In the City of San Francisco (COSF). Also, these were used by the same railroads and the Milwaukee Road Railroad in the City of Los Angeles (COLA). This is definitely a must-have for collectors of these railroads. This model shows light signs of previous use, including a little wheel wear. We’re giving it a grade of Excellent. We track-tested roles well across the tracks. The model is in its clean brass state, allowing the model to be painted however you’d like from the COSF to the COLA. Extras in spare parts bag with Kadee Knuckle Couplers. The B unit is a dummy. The box is included; the original foam is still present, but to prevent damage to the model from foam deterioration, it’s wrapped for protection. The EMC E2 was an American diesel-electric locomotive designed for passenger service. Each unit generated 1,800 horsepower (1,300 kW) from two 900-horsepower (670 kW) prime movers. Typically operating in three-unit sets, the locomotives produced a combined 5,400 horsepower-close to the ideal 6,000 horsepower needed to haul a 15- to 18-car passenger train over most major American rail routes. The E2 featured an A1A-A1A wheel arrangement and was manufactured by the Electro-Motive Corporation (EMC), later known as Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD), at its La Grange, Illinois, facility. In 1937, two three-unit locomotive sets were built for named passenger trains. The first set (SF-1, SF-2, and SF-3) powered the City of San Francisco and was jointly owned by the Union Pacific Railroad, the Chicago and North Western Railway, and the Southern Pacific Railroad. The second set (LA-1, LA-2, and LA-3) served the City of Los Angeles and was jointly owned by Union Pacific and Chicago and North Western. Each set consisted of a lead locomotive with a control cab (A unit) and two cabless booster units (B units), designed for multiple-unit operation-the first of its kind in diesel motive power. The E2’s profile was more aggressive than the sloping noses of earlier EMC passenger locomotives, earning it the nickname bulldog nose. Though later E and F series locomotives also had blunt noses, the E2’s was the most bulbous. Its seven porthole windows-one fewer than its Union Pacific predecessors (M-10003 to M-10006)-contributed to another nickname, “Queen Mary, ” referencing the British Cunard ocean liner introduced around the same time. The E2 locomotives were painted in Union Pacific’s signature Armour Yellow with Leaf Brown roofs and undersides, consistent with earlier streamliners like the M-10000 series. Around mid-1941, Union Pacific modified the scheme with Slate Gray roofs. Extensive stainless steel adorned the nose, prominently displaying the owning railroads’ heralds in full color. The nose’s bulbous shape and polished metal detailing resembled the streamlined M-10003 to M-10006 locomotives, which featured large stainless steel grilles and ornamentation. Union Pacific’s advertising from the era often highlighted these gleaming, aerodynamic designs, referring to the City of San Francisco’s schedule as “sailings, ” further reinforcing its sleek, ocean-liner aesthetic.