GE B23-7

The GE B23-7 is a road switcher 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 62 ft 2 in (18.95 m) long is exactly 2 ft 0 in (0.61 m). 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.

GE B23-7
BNSF 4258 switching the intermodal yards at Commerce, California, February 15, 2005.
Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder GE Transportation Systems GE de Brazil Model B23-7 Build date SEP 1977 – DEC 1984 Total produced U.S. - 412 units; Mexico - 125 units.
Specifications Configuration: ​  • AAR B-B Gauge 4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in), Brazil Length 62 ft 2 in (18.95 m) Prime mover GE FDL-12 Engine type V12 diesel Cylinders 12
Performance figures Power output 2,250 hp (1,680 kW)
Career Nicknames B-boat

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.

Union Pacific Railroad converted many of their B23-7's into Control Car Remote Control Locomotives by installing remote control equipment and removing the fuel tank and traction motors. This locomotive class (along with the B30-7) were chosen for conversion due to their low value on the used locomotive market.

Original owners

Owner	Quantity	Numbers	Notes
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway	69	6350-6418	6405-6418 last B23-7s built Transferred to BNSF
Conrail	141	1900-2023, 2800-2816	2800-2816 first B23-7s built Three sold to Metro-North, others split between CSX & NS. One sold to the Delmarva coast line railroad from Conrail.
Ferrocaril Unidos del Sureste	3	522- 524
Louisville and Nashville Railroad (Family Lines)	15	5115-5129	Transferred to CSX
Missouri Pacific Railroad	85	2289-2358, 4670-4684	2289-2358 renumbered to 4600-4669 Transferred To Union Pacific
Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México	122	1-01-1-08, 9130-9180, 10001-10052, 12000-12011
Providence and Worcester	1	2215
Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (Family Lines)	29	5100-5114, 5130-5139 (BQ23-7), 5140-5153
Southern Railway	54	3970-4023	High Hoods. Transferred to NS
Southern Pacific Railroad	15	5100-5114
Texas Utilities	2	3306–3307
Finger Lakes Railway	11		1943 (Ex Conway Scenic, Exx CR), 1989 (Ex Conrail), 2300 (Ex NYS&W Exx P&W, 2301 (Ex CR 1979), 2303 (Ex CR 2004), 2305 (Ex Norfolk Southern). 2306 & 2307 (Ex Providence & Worcester Railroad). FGLK added unit 2308, from the Camas Prairie Railroad. The original build was a highhood model for the Southern Railway as #4008. In mid June 2010 FGLK B23-7's 2309 & 2310 joined the fleet. Both are Ex Ohio Central, Exx BNSF, Exxx ATSF. 2309 and 2310 were painted into the FGLK lightning stripe scheme in 2010 and 2012.

References

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