GE C30-7

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

GE C30-7
UP 2482 at Granger, Wyoming in 1984
Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder GE Transportation Systems Model C30-7 Build date 1976–1986 Total produced 1,137 (including 50 C30-7As)
Specifications Configuration: ​  • AAR C-C  • UIC Co'Co Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge 1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in), Estonia Fuel type Diesel Prime mover GE 7FDL-16, 7FDL-12 Engine type V16 (V12 on C30-7A) Generator Auxiliary Generator: GY 27 Alternator: GY27 Traction motors 6x GE 752 Cylinders 16 (12 on C30-7A) Transmission Diesel-electric MU working AAR Loco brake Dynamic brake, Westinghouse Train brakes Westinghouse Couplers Knuckles coupler
Performance figures Maximum speed 70 mph (110 km/h) Power output 3,000 hp (2,200 kW) Tractive effort: ​  • Starting 91,600 lbf (407 kN)  • Continuous 91,500 lbf (407 kN) @ 9.5 mph
Career Locale North America, Estonia, Brazil, Iran, Peru

GE's successor to the C30-7 was the C36-7, early versions of which were quite similar to the C30-7.^[1]

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.^[1]

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.^[2]

Original owners

Mongolian C30-7 in service in Ulan Bator, displaying the export model cab

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	BN 5500 was the first locomotive with this model, and was built in September 1976. 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 GL 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
UBTZ	2	DASH7-1, DASH7-2	Delivered with export model cabs attached to standard C30-7 bodies
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 1524mm 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.^[3]

Preservation

• L&N 7067 is preserved and owned by the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation.^[4] This unit was previously painted for Marshall University and numbered 1837.
• Brazil's only surviving C30-7A, Rumo Logistca #7202, was restored in time for use on Rumo Logistica's annual Christmas on Rails train in December 2018.^[5] This locomotive is one of seven C30-7As built for Brazil.

See also

• Iranian locomotives