GE C30-7 BACKGROUND

The C30-7 was General Electric’s improvement of the U30C locomotive, featuring a 16-cylinder 3,000 horsepower diesel engine. Built between September 1976 and May 1986, over 1100 units were produced for many of the Class I railroads across the United States for use primarily in heavy-haul freight. A fair number would go on to have extended careers with both short/regional lines and private industrial railroads, owing to the locomotives reliability and pulling power.

It is, perhaps, the most polarizing locomotive from the 1980s and early 90s. The C30-7 was GE's answer to the SD40-2. When one thinks of Powder River and coal, the C30-7 isn't far behind. Burlington Northern owned the most in the States, with just over 240 examples. Santa Fe was a distant second with 157 C30s.

The C30-7 later gave way to the similar C36-7, as well as various unique models such as the Conrail C30-7A and the BC Rail C36-8m, rebuilt from former Conrail C30-7s.

The Rapido Trains HO scale GE C30-7 locomotive features:

• Correct nose and body contours
• High or Low headlights, as appropriate
• Correct Rockwell or Adirondack trucks, as appropriate
• Full traction motor casings details
• Heavy, die-cast weight for heavy hauling
• 5-pole skew-wound motor with dual flywheels
• Operating headlights and rear lights
• Operating roof-top beacons and class lights, where applicable
• Detailed underbody piping and conduit
• Separate grab irons and handrails
• Sound-equipped units feature ESU Loksound V5 decoders