GE P30CH

GE P30CH
Amtrak #712 inSouthern Pacificservice on thePeninsula Commutein 1978.
Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder GE Transportation Systems Model P30CH Build date 1975–76 Total produced 25
Specifications Configuration: ​ •AAR C-C •UIC Co′Co′ Gauge 4 ft8+1⁄2in(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 Locomotive: 46 ft (14.02 m) Truck: 13 ft 7 in (4.14 m) Length 72 ft 4 in (22.05 m) Width 10 ft 8.8 in (3.27 m) Height 15 ft4+1⁄2in (4.69 m) Axle load 64,333 lb (29,181 kg) 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 m3) Prime mover GE 7FDL16 RPMrange 450-1050 Engine type V16diesel 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-suppliedhead-end powerrated at 750 kW Loco brake Pneumatic (26L) &Dynamic Train brakes Pneumatic
Performance figures Maximum speed 103 mph (166 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 toSP Nicknames Pooch Last run 1991 Disposition All scrapped
Sources:

TheGE P30CHwas one of the first brand-newdiesel-electric locomotivesbuilt forAmtrakbyGeneral Electricduring Amtrak's early years. The design was based on theGE U30C,but had a cowl carbody like itsEMDcompetitors. Amtrak operated them between 1975 and 1992.

History

Amtrak ordered 25 P30CHs in 1974, following up on its order of 40EMD SDP40Fsin 1973. The designation "P30CH" stood for the following: "P" for passenger service, "30" for the 3,000 horsepower V16 GE 7FDL diesel engine, "C" forC-Cwheel arrangement, and "H" for head-end power. This designation led to nicknamed "Pooch".

The P30CH was the first Amtrak diesel locomotive built from the factory to offer HEP (head end power) in the form of 2Detroit Dieselgenerator sets, each rated at 375 kW for a combined total of 750 kW.

The six-axle P30CHs, which cost Amtrak $480,000 each,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.Ultimately the four-axleEMD F40PHsquickly began to supersede the P30CHs soon after their introduction by Amtrak.

Amtrak leased fifteen to theSouthern Pacific Railroadin 1978 for use on thePeninsula CommutebetweenSan FranciscoandSan Jose, California.Caltransleased several P30CHs for its abortiveOxnard–Los Angeles"CalTrain"commuter service.

Two units were wrecked prior to official retirement. In 1977,P30CH #713 was involved in a collisionwith somelog trucks.In 1979 P30CH #715 was involved in acollisionwith anIllinois Centralfreight train.

In the later years of their Amtrak careers, the locomotives were used regularly into the mid-1980s on theSunset LimitedandAuto Trainroutes.With the introduction of theGenesis seriesand theDash 8-32BWH series,the P30CHs had their final runs in late 1991;(with one being sold off for use in safety tests) and all have been presumed scrapped.

Original owners

GE produced 25 P30CHs, all of which were delivered to Amtrak:

Original Owner	Road Numbers	Quantity	Builder Numbers	Notes
Amtrak	700-724	25	40694-40718	15 units leased to Southern Pacific in 1978. 713 wrecked and retired after a grade crossing accident in 1977. 715 wrecked and retired after being involved in theHarvey, Illinois train collision

External links

• Media related toGE P30CH locomotivesat Wikimedia Commons