General Electric’s “Dash 7” locomotive line was introduced as a replacement for the older “Universal-Series” of the 60s and early 70s. “Dash 7” series improvements included increased fuel efficiency, tractive effort and reliability. The B23-7 was a direct replacement for the 2,250HP U23B model. The first units were produced for Conrail in September, 1977 (ironically, 3 months after the last U23B was delivered to Conrail). Production continued through 1984, with a total of 535 units built. Conrail was the largest purchaser of the model, with a total fleet of 141 units.

Several features distinguished B23-7s from predecessor models. The long hood stepped outward in the area of the exhaust stack to accommodate a relocated oil cooler. In addition, the frame was 2 feet longer than that of the U23B. An FB-2 style truck was offered as standard equipment on B23-7s, but some railroads opted to use “trade-in” trucks. Therefore, AAR type B and Blomberg trucks could be found on some models. The six power assembly doors (located near the center of the long hood) indicated that the B23-7 was powered by a 12-cylinder GE FDL engine.

Features:
• Directional lighting
• Golden-white LEDs
• Dual brass flywheels
• Low-friction mechanism
• Accurate painting and lettering
• Factory-installed AccuMate® magnetic knuckle couplers

DCC Operation Features (GOLD LOCOMOTIVES ONLY)

• Supports all DCC-programming modes
• DCC includes RailCom and RailComPlus, with 14, 28 or 128 speed steps and with 2-digit and 4-digit addressing.
  Flexible mapping of function keys F0 to F28.
• A total of 6 DCC function outputs are available, and all can be function mapped (disable, brightness, light effects) individually
  Follows all NMRA DCC standards and recommended practices.

ESU LokSound Features (GOLD LOCOMOTIVES ONLY):

• Over 20 sound effects are available, including engine start-up and shutdown, prime mover sounds through all eight notches, bell, air horn, air compressor, dynamic brakes and more.
• There are up to 16 user-selectable horns, 2 user-selectable bells, and 2 user-selectable synchronized brake squeals.
• Manual and Automatic Notching modes with the ability to change modes ”on the fly” are provided for true realism.