how many C30-7's did Conrail buy from ATSF?

[SRS125]

I rember reading about Conrail buying C30-7's from the Santa Fe how many of these units are still in service still today??

For thows who have aurgued this with me befor about conrail and don't beleve that Conrail baught ATSF units there is proof at this page:
http://crcyc.railfan.net/locos/ge/7c30/c307.html

read it and weep!!

[Noel Weaver]

These junkers were basket cases from day one on Conrail. I had a train
out of Buffalo one trip with a decent head end unit and two of these
engines behind. Neither one of them would do anything and it took us
twelve hours to go 150 miles to Syracuse where we got relieved.
These engines were not run on Conrail for too long, they ended up in
Utica at the NYS & W facility and where they went from there, I do not
know.
By contrast the Conrail C-30-7's were around for quite a long time, they
came quite early and there were only ten of them (6600-6609). The
reason for the star was that they were in a comparison test with ten
SD-40-2's. The end result, no more C-30-7's and many more SD-40-2's.
The 6600's were around for quite a long time although in their later years,
they were in and out of storage a lot and also went off property on lease
occasionally.
Noel Weaver

[SRS125]

a 2ed question that comes to mind is that there were a small hand full of U33C's still rostored on the Conrail fleet but proof of this is had becuse there not published on line outher than the Conrail historical groups page. How long did these units last on the rostor were they gone by 1995 or did they hang in a while longer in Puller Service in Buffalo and in Selikrk Yard?

[Noel Weaver]

Conrail inherited a fleet? of U-33C's from Penn Central and U-36C's from
the Erie Lackawanna. The U-36C's were the better of the two.
None of them were around when I returned to Conrail from Metro-North
in 1987.
None of either class were assigned to yard service at least at Selkirk.
Selkirk had U-23C's for many years and when their time was up, they
were replaced by C-30-7's.
I believe they are using SD-40-2's for the most part now, maybe the
ones that were rebuilt at Altoona in the early 1990's. These particular
engines were good runners and good pullers but the cabs were extremely
noisy and the union complained so much that they were mostly used on
less stressful jobs such as helpers, yard and transfers and sometimes as
trailing units.
Noel Weaver

[LCJ]

I remember working yard jobs at Selkirk on and around CR day 1 (4/1/76) -- we were stuck flat-switching the local yard with a rattletrap EL U36C with composition shoes -- mostly useless! It took forever to load up to kick cars, and couldn't stop for beans.

These units were not used regularly in the yard, though, as far as I can recall.

[BrianM]

I thought all of the ATSF C30-7's that Conrail bought went right into the Conrail lease fleet, CRL (I believe it was called). Soon followed by the Conrail SD40 fleet.


Brian

[SSW9389]

Conrail never bought any of the C30-7s directly from Santa Fe. Santa Fe traded in 57 C30-7s to GE in 1989 on an order of B40-8Ws. These C30-7s from Santa Fe were leased out by GE for further service. Source The Santa Fe Diesel Volume Two by Dr. Cinthia Priest.

Will check to see if Conrail bought or leased these from GE.

I rember reading about Conrail buying C30-7's from the Santa Fe how many of these units are still in service still today??

For thows who have aurgued this with me befor about conrail and don't beleve that Conrail baught ATSF units there is proof at this page:
http://crcyc.railfan.net/locos/ge/7c30/c307.html

read it and weep!!

[upstatenyrailfan]

My 1st cab ride was in a C30-7. They were great looking and sounding engines. Back in September of 2004 I had one pass me at VO going west. Man did it sound great.

[LCJ]

When I was RFE in Baltimore, we had problems with C30-7s on southbound coal trains through the B&P Tunnel (a short, steep grade with curves at the wrong places). These GE units were much more likely to slip on the grade through the tunnel, resulting in broken knuckles about 5 deep.

EMDs (mostly SD40-2s) slipped occasionally, too, but they were easier to control with a notch off to 7th -- reducing the extreme forces on the head end. It all comes down to load control, and the -7s weren't as good in that regard.

I hated to see them coming in a consist when it was raining, because I knew I would be getting a call to assist at the Pennsylvania Avenue opening.

[Noel Weaver]

When I was RFE in Baltimore, we had problems with C30-7s on southbound coal trains through the B&P Tunnel (a short, steep grade with curves at the wrong places). These GE units were much more likely to slip on the grade through the tunnel, resulting in broken knuckles about 5 deep.

EMDs (mostly SD40-2s) slipped occasionally, too, but they were easier to control with a notch off to 7th -- reducing the extreme forces on the head end. It all comes down to load control, and the -7s weren't as good in that regard.

I hated to see them coming in a consist when it was raining, because I knew I would be getting a call to assist at the Pennsylvania Avenue opening.

If the Baltimore tunnels were anything like the tunnels on the River Line,
they had their share of Rats and Bats. I trust you stayed clear of them in
you excapades in these tunnels.
Noel Weaver

[LCJ]

The B&P tunnel is quite different from those on the River Line, but the same in some ways. I'm sure there are rats and bats there, but if I recall correctly, it is very well lighted. First class -- Amtrak NEC!

The floor of B&P is concrete with the tracks embedded in it. It has troughs for water to flow out through. Every night an Amtrak "supersucker" hi-rail truck would make a pass through to remove the silt and junk that flowed into the bottom of the tunnel.

The most "interesting" part of dealing with broken knuckles in the tunnel was the access point at Pennsylvania Avenue -- which is not a nice place to be in Baltimore at 3 AM. The tunnel is under the city, after all, and not under a mountain as on the River.

There was (is?) a chain link enclosure with a locked gate for our access to the opening. I would drive to the gate, get out and open the lock and gate, then drive in and quickly close and lock the gate. Whew! Made it again!

We had a box located near the opening with a supply of spare knuckles -- always prepared!

After replacing the broken knuckle, the hard part was getting the train started again. It was a true test of skill (and luck). All of the 80 loads would be on the grade at this point, so it was impossible to take slack.

After it would get going again, I would suddenly realize I hadn't been breathing for the last few moments.

I'm afraid GE units were not my friends at that time.

[conrail6055]

39 of the U33C's (6540 - 6578) and 13 of the U36C's (6587 - 6599) were assigned to Columbus in '79.

~Kris