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The irony of the BL2 is that it was trying to be good looking.  Apparently the problem arose because its good looks could only go so far due to the natural conflict between the streamlining of a cab unit and the functionality of a switch engine, which the BL2 was intended to possess.  However, I don’t think it failed commercially because of its appearance.  As I understand it, the deficiency stemmed from something common to many multipurpose machines; the inherent compromise between the performances of purposes.  In this case, the BL2 was still less than ideal for switching.   <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> Perhaps in the euphoria over the streamlining fashion of the passenger train, which seemed to the centerpiece of dieselization, the BL2 made sense to EMD.  But railroading was still ruled by practicality, not fashion, so the BL2 had to lose its style and become the fully practical geep.  In a way it is odd that most would say that the geep is better looking than the BL2, but there is a natural beauty that comes from form following function, and the geep has a lot of that kind of beauty.  Whereas the BL2 has a kind of pretentious look that comes from trying to be something that it is not.  The BL2 has that distinctive squared off shoulder ledge that curves up from the frame, into the cab, and then continues behind the cab, sloping down all the way to the back.  Presumably that is not a functional feature, but I have heard railroaders cleverly refer to it as the chain guard.
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