GE B23-7

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 AAR wheel arr 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

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 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, 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.

These engines frequently are rebuilt as Control Car Remote Control Locomotive (CCRCL) 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
Conrail	141	1900-2023, 2800-2816	2800-2816 first B23-7s built
Ferrocaril Unidos del Sureste	3	522- 524
Louisville and Nashville Railroad (Family Lines)	15	5115-5129
Missouri Pacific Railroad	85	2289-2358, 4670-4684	2289-2358 renumbered to 4600-4669
Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México	122	1-01-1-08, 9130-9180, 10001-10052, 12000-12011
Providence and Worcester	1	2201
Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (Family Lines)	29	5100-5114, 5140-5153
Southern Railway	54	3970-4023
Southern Pacific Railroad	15	5100-5114
Texas Utilities	2	3306–3307