Burlington Northern U30C operating at the Illinois Railway Museum in 2004
Type and origin
Power type
Diesel-electric
Builder
GE Transportation Systems
Model
U30C
Build date
November 1966 – October 1976
Total produced
600 (plus 6 U30CG)
Specifications
Configuration:
• AAR
C-C
Gauge
4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length
67 feet 3 inches (20.50 m)
Prime mover
GE 7FDL-16
Performance figures
Power output
3,000 hp (2,200 kW)
Career
Locale
North America
Disposition
most scrapped, some preserved, others rebuilt into the GE Super 7 Program
The GE U30C is a six-axle locomotive built by General Electric from 1966 to 1976. With 600 units sold, the U30C proved to be a viable alternative for customers who were unable to purchase SD40s from Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) due to production backlog. Throughout its ten-year production span, the U30C was known for reliability issues concerning its electrical system. However, most railroads were assured of the reliability of the GE Model 752 DC traction motor, and began to place orders for U30Cs starting in 1966. When production ended, the last U30Cs carried pre-Dash 7 specifications, which would be carried in its replacement, the GE C30-7.
The U30C served customers of all kinds, from mining, to general freights, coal trains, and even as a power source unit for the Department of Transportation's subway-car test tracks in Pueblo, Colorado before a connection from the commercial electric power grid could be established (Cudahy 1979).
Not to be outdone in the freight sector, GE produced a passenger version of the locomotive, the GE U30CG. The U30CG only sold six units for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad.
When most U30Cs were being retired due to old age and mechanical or electrical problems, General Electric initiated a rebuild program where older Universal Series locomotives would be upgraded with the latest technology and fuel-saving systems. GE would then strip the locomotive down to its frame and engine, and completely rebuild the locomotive with new components. When completed, the unit would receive a new designation: GE C30-S7R (R for Rebuilt frame of traded-in locomotive). In the later years, the rebuild frame was discontinued, and a brand new frame would be used, re-designating the locomotive as GE C30-S7N (N for New frame). The only external difference was a large vent on the fireman's side ahead of the engine compartment. The final variation came with the discontinued frame of the Universal series and instead, using GE C40-8 kits. This new model also featured a microprocessor, officially designating this locomotive as GE C30-S7NMP.
A variant of the U20C export locomotive was known as the U30C. This version is unrelated to the U30C built for North America.
The GEU30C is a six-axle locomotive built by General Electric from 1966 to 1976. With 600 units sold, the U30C proved to be a viable alternative for...
General Electric during Amtrak's early years. The design was based on the GEU30C, but had a cowl carbody like its EMD competitors. Amtrak operated them...
the EMD GP40 and the ALCO Century 430, but was not as successful as the GEU30C. Western Pacific #3051 is preserved at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum...
coming as a later rebuild of a GEU30C for the New York MTA. The 32 initial locomotives numbered 3351–3382, were built by GE for the New Jersey Department...
different engines (8- and 12-cylinder); and the export U30C model shared the same model number with the US U30C, but had a 12-cylinder, rather than a 16-cylinder...
Another more powerful version, license-built by Krupp, and referred to as a GEU30C model, was delivered to the 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) TAZARA Railway, which...
The GE U30CG was a passenger-hauling diesel-electric locomotive built by GE Transportation Systems. It was a passenger variant of GE'sU30C design purchased...
two NYCTA R42 subway cars.: 3, 20 DOTX 001 was a 3,000 hp (2,200 kW) GEU30C locomotive, the first rolling stock purchased for the HSGTC in FY1971.: 19 ...
DDA40X GE U23B GE U23C GE U25B GE U25C GE U28C GE U30B GEU30CGE U33B GE U33C GE U36B GE U36C GE U50 GE U50C GE Dash 7 Series GE Dash 8 Series GE Dash...
transport that occurred in 1967. January – General Electric introduces the GEU30C. February 21 – The last shunting horse to work on British Rail, "Charlie"...
A derivative of the FP45 produced for Amtrak GE U30CG - A cowl-bodied passenger variant of the GEU30C, also ordered by the ATSF "Santa Fe F45's". atsf...
side, there are very few features which distinguish the U23C from the U30C. The U30C has eight tall hood doors per side, a function of the V16 within. A...
The following is a list of locomotives produced by GE Transportation Systems, a subsidiary of Wabtec. All were/are built at Fort Worth, Texas or Erie,...
were acquired recently while the remaining 10 were the old Diesel Electric U30C Locomotives aged over 25 years whose reliability has reduced drastically...
to the Pureland Industrial Complex in Bridgeport, New Jersey. The five GEU30C locomotives worked on the Eagle Mountain Railroad from 1968 to April 1986...
Systems. The length of the locomotive was 67 ft 3 in (20.50 m), standard for U30C, U33C, U34CH, U36C, U36CG, C30-7 and C36-7. The U36C also had steel capped...
the collision was conducted in the 1980s with a Union Pacific Railroad GEU30C locomotive and an unoccupied school bus. Coincidentally, the locomotive...
November 2015. "General Electric's U30C" by Diesel Era Staff from Diesel Era Volume 5 Number 2 March/April 1994, pages 6–8. "GE's reaction to the competition:...
H-12-44: 5 locomotives (315–319), built 1952 and 1954 GE 44-ton: 1 locomotive (330), built 1941 GEU30C: 10 locomotives (800–809), built 1968 Dorin, Patrick...
locomotives and coal cars to fit their needs. Purchasing EMD SD40's and GEU30C's for mainline motive power as well as High-Side Articulated Gondolas (with...
by GE in 1946. Converted to freight class EF-4 in 1956. Milwaukee Road class EF-1 - 30 two-unit boxcab sets (60 locomotives) built in 1915 by ALCO/GE, identical...
The GE Transportation C44aci is a model of Australian heavy duty diesel electric locomotive designed by UGL Rail and built at the Broadmeadow factory....
and 1986 and was fitted with a 16-cylinder 7FDL engine. It replaced the U30C model. A total of 1,137 C30-7s were built, all of them for North American...
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