GE P30CH

GE P30CH

Amtrak #712 in Southern Pacific service on the Peninsula Commute in 1978.

Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder GE Transportation Systems Model P30CH Build date 1975-76 Total produced 25

Specifications AAR wheel arr C-C UIC class Co′Co′ Gauge 4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Trucks GE 3-axle floating bolster Wheel diameter 40 in (1,016 mm) Minimum curve 29° (199.70 ft or 60.87 m) Wheelbase 46 ft 0 in (14.02 m) locomotive 13 ft 7 in (4.14 m) truck Length 72 ft 4 in (22.05 m) Width 10 ft 8.8 in (3.27 m) Height 15 ft 4 ^1⁄2 in (4.69 m) Axle load 64,333.33 lb (29,181 kilograms) Adhesive weight 100% Loco weight 386,000 lb (175,087 kg) Fuel type Diesel Fuel capacity 3,600 US gal (14,000 L; 3,000 imp gal) Lubricant cap 380 US gal (1,400 L; 320 imp gal) Water cap 385 US gal (1,460 L; 321 imp gal) Sandbox cap 56 cu ft (1.59 m^3) Prime mover GE 7FDL16 RPM range 450-1050 Engine type V16 diesel Aspiration Turbocharged Displacement 175.2 liters (10,690 cu in) Alternator GTA11 Traction motors 6x GE 752 DC traction motors Cylinders 16 Cylinder size 10.95 liters (668 cu in) Transmission 75:28 gearing MU working Yes Train heating Locomotive-supplied head-end power rated at 750 kW (1,010 hp) Loco brake Pneumatic (26L) & Dynamic Train brakes Pneumatic

Performance figures Maximum speed 103 miles per hour (165.76 km/h) Power output 3,000 hp (2,200 kW) Tractive effort 58,980 lbf (262 kN) @ 14.7 mph (23.7 km/h)

Career Operators Amtrak, some leased to SP Nicknames Pooch Last run 1992 Disposition All scrapped

Sources: [1][2]

The GE P30CH (nicknamed "Pooch" because of the similarity of the designation) was one of the first brand-new diesel-electric locomotives built for Amtrak in the company's early years. The design was based on the GE U30C, but had a cowl carbody like its EMD competitors. Amtrak operated them from 1974–1992.

Amtrak ordered 25 P30CHs in 1974, following up on its order of 40 EMD SDP40Fs in 1973. The P30CH was the first Amtrak diesel locomotive built from the factory to offer HEP (head end power) in the form of 2 Detroit Diesel generator sets, each rated at 375 kW. The six-axle P30CHs, which cost Amtrak $480,000 each,^[3]:105 were plagued with mechanical problems and were never very popular with crews or Amtrak management. In the mid-1970s Amtrak moved away from six-axle designs in favor of four-axle units; four-axle locomotives could better handle routes with numerous curves.^[4]:34

Amtrak leased fifteen to the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1978 for use on the Peninsula Commute between San Francisco and San Jose, California.^[5]:12 Caltrans leased several P30CHs for its abortive Oxnard–Los Angeles "CalTrain" commuter service.^[6] In the later years of their Amtrak careers, the locomotives were used regularly into the mid-1980s on the Sunset Limited and Auto Train routes.^[3]:105 They had their final runs in late 1992; none were preserved.^[4]:34

Original owners

GE produced 25 P30CHs, all of which were delivered to Amtrak:^[7]

Original Owner	Road Numbers	Quantity	Builder Numbers	Notes
Amtrak	700-724	25	40694-40718	All scrapped

References

1. http://www.trainlife.com/public/magazine_page/57/4d/05/5430f_42d3.jpg?c=fc65
2. http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/manual/p30ch-om.pdf
3. Solomon, Brian (2004). Amtrak. Saint Paul, MN: MBI. ISBN 0-760-31765-8. OCLC 56490949.
4. Glischinkski, Steve (September 1994). "Cowls". Pacific Rail News. No. 370. pp. 31–37.
5. "Amtrak GEs Take over Espee Commuter Work". Pacific RailNews. Vol. 18 no. 7. July 1978. pp. 12–13.
6. Caldwell, Charles M. (February 1983). "Southern Pacific". Pacific RailNews. Vol. 22 no. 2. p. 12.
7. Komanesky, John (October 29, 2010). "GE U30 & P30CH roster". The Diesel Shop. Retrieved 2013-02-07.

External links

• Media related to GE P30CH locomotives at Wikimedia Commons