The E el-2 (Cyrillic script: ÃÂÃÂû2) was a Soviet dieselâÂÂelectric locomotive designed by Yury Lomonosov and built in Germany. The work was started by Hohenzollern Locomotive Works in Germany, but for political reasons it was later transferred to Maschinenfabrik Esslingen. The locomotive was completed in 1924 and in January 1925 it was transferred to the USSR and presented to the press and officials. It spent the remainder of that year on several USSR mainline routes then worked mostly between Moscow and Kursk. Later it was moved to Ashkhabad (Ashgabat) in Turkmenistan. Despite some technical troubles in its early years, it underwent several modifications and lasted until 1954, running about in total.
The prime mover was an MAN submarine-type diesel engine, weighing , and there were five traction motors, one for each driving axle. A semi-flexible coupling was installed between the diesel engine and the generator.