GE C30-7

The C30-7 is a 6-axle road switcher diesel-electric locomotive built by GE Transportation Systems between 1976 and 1986 as an updated U30C with a 16-cylinder 3,000 horsepower (2,200 kW) FDL-series diesel engine. 1,137 were built for North American railroads.

GE C30-7
UP 2482 at Granger, Wyoming in 1984
Type and origin
Power typeDiesel-electric
BuilderGE Transportation Systems
ModelC30-7
Build date1976–1986
Total produced1,137 (including 50 C30-7As)
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • AARC-C
Gauge4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
1,520 mm (4 ft 11 27⁄32 in), Estonia
Prime mover7FDL-16, 7FDL-12
Engine typeV16 (V12 on C30-7A)
Cylinders16 (12 on C30-7A)
Performance figures
Power output3,000 hp (2,200 kW)
Career
LocaleNorth America, Estonia, Brazil

Variants

C30-7A

A variant of the C30-7, 50 GE C30-7As were purchased by Conrail in mid-1984. Externally similar to the GE C30-7 model, six tall hood doors per side (in place of eight) showed it had a 12-cylinder (rather than 16-cylinder) prime mover. Both engines produced 3,000 horsepower (2,200 kW) but the C30-7A's smaller engine used less fuel. The C30-7A units were built between May and June 1984.

Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia purchased twelve former Conrail C30-7A locomotives in 2001 and used their traction components in the rebuilding of 442 class locomotives as the GL class. These entered service in Australia from 2003.[1]

In December 2018, Brazil’s only surviving C30-7A was restored in time for use on a holiday train.

Original owners
Railroad Quantity Road numbers Notes
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway 157 8010-8166 Remaining units went to BNSF after the BN-ATSF merger in 1996. Most were returned to GE prior to merger and subsequently acquired by Conrail, Helm Leasing, and Union Pacific. All sold in the late 1990s to early 2000s. Many have found their way to the ALL (America Latina Logistica) Railroad in Brazil.
Burlington Northern Railroad 242 5000-5141, 5500-5599 Remaining units went to BNSF after the BN-ATSF merger in 1996. All sold in the late 1990s to early 2000s. Many have found their way to the ALL (America Latina Logistica) Railroad in Brazil.
Conrail 60 6550-6609 6550-6599 were model C30-7A. 12 exported to Australia and later rebuilt into NSW 442 Class locomotives. Others exported to Estonia and rebuilt for use on Eesti Raudtee.
Ferrocarril del Pacífico 26 434-459
Louisville and Nashville Railroad 44 7000-7015, 7032-7051, 7062-7069 Delivered in Family Lines paint
Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México 305 6700-6799, 9600-9656, 11001-11148 11040-11090, 11129-11148 built from kits in Mexico
Norfolk and Western Railway 80 8003-8082
Seaboard Coast Line Railroad 51 7016-7031, 7052-7061, 7070-7094 Delivered in Family Lines paint
Union Pacific Railroad 140 2415–2539, 2960–2974

Use in Estonia
A C30-7Ai pulls a freight train through the railway station in Tapa, Estonia in 2005.

In 2003 19 C30-7As were rebuilt and exported to Estonia as C30-7Ais to be used by EVR (Eesti Raudtee) which at that time was privately owned. The locos were numbered as part of Class 1500 (1558–1576) and were second-hand from Conrail/CSX/NS (USA).

In 2018, Operail (formerly EVR Cargo) announced it had completed its first conversion of the series with #1564. International Railway Journal reported, "Only the frames and bogies of the original locomotive were retained and the C30-M features a new centrally-positioned driver’s cab and a 1.55MW Caterpillar 3512C HD diesel engine." The converted unit has a 1520mm track gauge and weighs 138 tonnes. Operail's redesign makes the units suitable for shunting and line haul. The redesigned units are planned for internal use and export sales.[2]

EVR Conrail CSX NS
1558 6552 n# 8084
1559 6580 n# 8098
1560 6582 n# 8099
1561 6597 n# 8109
1562 6598 n# 8110
1563 6553 7096 8113
1564 6565 7100 8117
1565 6561 n# 8090
1566 6577 7107 8124
1567 6596 n# 8108
1568 6586 7112 8129
1569 6591 n# 8104
1570 6581 7110 8127
1571 6592 n# 8105
1572 6572 7103 8120
1573 6571 7102 8119
1574 6579 7109 8126
1575 6584 n# 8100
1576 6599 n# 8111

See also
  • Iranian locomotives

References
  1. Oberg, Leon (1962). Locomotives of Australia. Rosenberg Publishing. p. 367. ISBN 978-1-877058-54-7.
  2. "Estonia's Operail rebuilds US diesel locomotives". International Railway Journal. October 19, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
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