P30CH

GE P30CH
Amtrak #712 in Southern Pacific service on the Peninsula Commute in 1978.
Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder GE Transportation Systems Model P30CH Build date 1975-76 Total produced 25
Specifications Configuration: ​  • AAR C-C  • UIC Co′Co′ Gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Trucks GE 3-axle floating bolster Wheel diameter 40 in (1,016 mm) Minimum curve 29° (199.70 ft or 60.87 m) Wheelbase 46 ft 0 in (14.02 m) locomotive 13 ft 7 in (4.14 m) truck Length 72 ft 4 in (22.05 m) Width 10 ft 8.8 in (3.27 m) Height 15 ft 4 1⁄2 in (4.69 m) Axle load 64,333.33 lb (29,181 kilograms) Adhesive weight 100% Loco weight 386,000 lb (175,087 kg) Fuel type Diesel Fuel capacity 3,600 US gal (14,000 L; 3,000 imp gal) Lubricant cap. 380 US gal (1,400 L; 320 imp gal) Water cap 385 US gal (1,460 L; 321 imp gal) Sandbox cap. 56 cu ft (1.59 m3) Prime mover GE 7FDL16 RPM range 450-1050 Engine type V16 diesel Aspiration Turbocharged Displacement 175.2 liters (10,690 cu in) Alternator GTA11 Traction motors 6x GE 752 DC traction motors Cylinders 16 Cylinder size 10.95 liters (668 cu in) Transmission 75:28 gearing MU working Yes Train heating Locomotive-supplied head-end power rated at 750 kW (1,010 hp) Loco brake Pneumatic (26L) & Dynamic Train brakes Pneumatic
Performance figures Maximum speed 103 miles per hour (165.76 km/h) Power output 3,000 hp (2,200 kW) Tractive effort 58,980 lbf (262 kN) @ 14.7 mph (23.7 km/h)
Career Operators Amtrak, some leased to SP Nicknames Pooch Last run 1992 Disposition All scrapped
Sources:

The GE P30CH (nicknamed "Pooch" because of the similarity of the designation) was one of the first brand-new diesel-electric locomotives built for Amtrak by General Electric during Amtrak's early years. The design was based on the GE U30C, but had a cowl carbody like its EMD competitors. Amtrak operated them from 1974–1992.

Amtrak ordered 25 P30CHs in 1974, following up on its order of 40 EMD SDP40Fs in 1973. The P30CH was the first Amtrak diesel locomotive built from the factory to offer HEP (head end power) in the form of 2 Detroit Diesel generator sets, each rated at 375 kW. The six-axle P30CHs, which cost Amtrak $480,000 each, were plagued with mechanical problems and were never very popular with crews or Amtrak management. In the mid-1970s Amtrak moved away from six-axle designs in favor of four-axle units; four-axle locomotives could better handle routes with numerous curves. Ultimately the four-axle EMD F40PHs quickly began to supersede the P30CHs soon after their introduction by Amtrak.

Amtrak leased fifteen to the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1978 for use on the Peninsula Commute between San Francisco and San Jose, California.Caltrans leased several P30CHs for its abortive Oxnard–Los Angeles "CalTrain" commuter service. In the later years of their Amtrak careers, the locomotives were used regularly into the mid-1980s on the Sunset Limited and Auto Train routes. They had their final runs in late 1992; none were preserved.