GE B23-7 explained

GE B23-7
Powertype:Diesel-electric
Gauge:
, Brazil
Builder:GE Transportation Systems GE de Brazil
Buildmodel:B23-7
Cylindercount:12
Length:62inchesft2inchesin (ftin)
Aarwheels:B-B
Primemover:GE FDL-12
Enginetype:V12 diesel
Poweroutput:2250hp
Builddate:SEP 1977  - DEC 1984
Totalproduction:U.S. - 412 units; Mexico - 125 units.
Nicknames:B-boat

The GE B23-7 is a diesel locomotive model that was first offered by GE in late 1977. Featuring a smaller 12 cylinder version of the FDL engine, it is the successor to GE's U23B produced from early 1968 to mid 1977, but at 62inchesft2inchesin (ftin) long is exactly 2feet. longer. It competed with the very successful EMD GP38-2. General Electric also produced a variant, the BQ23-7,[1] [2] No. 5130-5139, for the Seaboard Coast Line. A total of 537 B23-7's were built for 9 U.S. customers and 2 Mexican customers.

A B23-7A is a 12-cylinder B23-7 with horsepower boosted to 250 per cylinder or 3,000 horsepower. In 1980 the Missouri Pacific ordered three B23-7A's (#'s 4667-4669, later UP #'s 257-259) and tested them system-wide. The result was the GE model B30-7A, B30-7 with a 12-cylinder FDL prime mover. They were not renumbered into the B30-7A series on the MP because they lacked Sentry Wheel Slip and had different engine governors.

13 B23-7's were built by GE of Brazil in Dec.1979 for United South Eastern Railways(FUS) no.522-524 and National Railways of Mexico(NdeM) no.9130-9139. 17 B23-7s were built from GE kits in Mexico as Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México no.10047-10052 and no.12001-12011.

Southern Railway's 54 units had Southern's "standard" high-short-hoods.

Original owners

OwnerQuantityNumbersNotes
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway696350-64186405-6418 last B23-7s builtTransferred to BNSF
Conrail1411900-2023, 2800-2816 2800-2816 first B23-7s builtThree sold to Metro-North, others split between CSX & NS.
Ferrocaril Unidos del Sureste3522- 524
Louisville and Nashville Railroad (Family Lines)155115-5129Transferred to CSX
Missouri Pacific Railroad852289-2358, 4670-46842289-2358 renumbered to 4600-4669Transferred To Union Pacific
Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México1221-01-1-08, 9130-9180, 10001-10052, 12000-12011
Providence and Worcester12201Transferred to Railroad Museum of New England for parts
Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (Family Lines)295100-5114, 5130-5139 (BQ23-7), 5140-5153
Southern Railway543970-4023High Hoods. Transferred to NS
Southern Pacific Railroad155100-5114
Texas Utilities23306–3307

Notes and References

  1. Book: Hans Halberstadt. Modern Diesel Locomotives. 14 April 2010. 13 September 1996. MBI Publishing Company. 978-0-7603-0199-9. 62–.
  2. Book: Gerald L. Foster. A Field Guide to Trains of North America. 14 April 2010. 18 March 1996. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 978-0-395-70112-6. 46–.