General Electric (GE) sold 600 examples of its U30C diesel locomotive from late 1966 through the fall of 1976. The 3,000-hp model rode on six-axle trucks (with Adirondack and General Steel Casting sideframe variants) and was powered by GE’s 16-cylinder 7FDL prime mover. In addition to standard freight service U30Cs, GE sold six cowl-body U30CG passenger locomotives to Santa Fe.
Delaware & Hudson (D&H) purchased six U30Cs (701-706) that saw production in early 1967 (GE builder’s numbers 36232-36237). These examples (as illustrated by D&H 703) were Phase I body style and similar to late production U28C units, as was GE’s general approach to deliver its next enhanced U-Boat innards with the exterior of the previous model’s last production phase. This approach began with GE’s landmark U25s, with early U28s looking like late-production U25s.
ABOVE: D&H 707 is numerically the first of the road’s second delivery of GE U30Cs and came with a Phase II exterior. The unit was at Sloan, N.Y., in late October, 1971. Compare the back of the long hood section on this example with D&H 703’s rear radiator area and you’ll see the major spotting feature differentiating Phase I and Phase II U30C diesel locomotives. — Kevin EuDaly collection
Delaware & Hudson received six more U30Cs (707-712) at the end of 1967. This group (GE builder’s numbers 36493-36498) were Phase II versions of the U30C and featured a slightly wider than the long hood radiator section with a taper section between the upper part of the long hood and the radiator section. For more information on General Electric’s U30Cs, visit David Thompson’s GE’s U30C – Original Owners on TrainWeb.
ABOVE: This Atlas illustration shows its plans for an HO-scale U30C Phase I diesel locomotive decorated for Delaware & Hudson.
Atlas plans a late 2021 delivery for an HO-scale Master-series U30C Phase I model. Delaware & Hudson will receive three of its six Phase I road numbers in this production. In addition to this U30C, Atlas is working on GE’s U28C and U28CG for release as Master-series models in HO scale.
ABOVE: It is easy to spot the heritage of D&H 752 in this 1971 view at Bison Yard in Buffalo, N.Y. The road received these units during its supervision by Norfolk & Western’s Dereco subsidiary. — Michael A. Tedesco photo, Kevin EuDaly collection
While D&H did not buy more six-axle GE U-Boats following the 1968 arrival of its U30C fleet, the road did roster U33Cs by way of another railroad. Norfolk & Western’s Dereco subsidiary oversaw Delaware & Hudson and Erie Lackawanna for a time during the Penn Central’s troubles around 1970 through the U.S. Government creation of Conrail in 1976. In managing the roads, some horse swapping was done and a dozen Erie Lackawanna U33Cs (3301-3312) went to the D&H roster and became its 751-762. Erie Lackawanna received D&H’s SD45s as part of the trade. For additional reference on GE’s U30C, you’ll find all owners represented in Diesel Era’s Volume 5, Number edition from 1994.
