C30-7 Diesel Locomotive

Prototype Information

The GE C30-7 hit the rails in 1976 as part of GE’s Dash 7 series. It packed 3,000 horsepower from a 7FDL-16 diesel engine and a rugged, simple design. Railroads quickly put it to work hauling heavy freight across North America.

Conrail, Southern Pacific, and Santa Fe ran C30-7s in multi-unit lash-ups for coal, grain, and intermodal service. GE built over 1,000 units, including some for export. Many were later rebuilt into C30-7A or other Dash 7 variants, keeping them in service into the 2000s.

The C30-7 became a symbol of the Dash 7 era—powerful, reliable, and a favorite with crews.