Western Railroad Discussion > santa fe's gp30

how many of them are still running around? this one can though blue island today.

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Here's one from last week...

BNSF 2464 at Point Richmond, Ca. on 4/25/05.

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There was a GP30U and a GP35U running the BNSF Reno Local out of Sparks, NV, last week.
When/how does the BNSF get to/go from Sparks eastward?
Fireplug.

I saw at least three in and around Phoenix today.

JMW
http://www.arizona-rails.com

This question came up exactly a month ago. Apart from BNSF 2404 going to the Bountiful Grain & Craig Mountain, I haven't read of any mass retirements or sell-offs of the ex-Santa Fe GP30's, which means there are still about 75 of them still running around loose on BNSF, in addition to BN's rebuilt GP30's.

Evan_Werkema Wrote:
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> This question came up exactly a month ago. Apart
> from BNSF 2404 going to the Bountiful Grain &
> Craig Mountain, I haven't read of any mass
> retirements or sell-offs of the ex-Santa Fe
> GP30's, which means there are still about 75 of
> them still running around loose on BNSF, in
> addition to BN's rebuilt GP30's.
>

I'd say quite a remarkable achievement, and quite a testament to EMD's abilities to build a locomotive. Granted, they've been rebuilt, but how many 40-year old GE locomotives are still out there running around?

SW1200

If they're all numbered sequentially, there should be 76 GP30U's remaining in service. Apparently BNSF likes them well enough to still use them and the GP35's as a universal road switcher/local loco. Aside from one CSX and one UP GP15 (in Buffalo, NY and El Segundo, CA, respectively) I've never seen power that old on local work on any other Class-1.

Here's a solid '30 lashup on the Harbor sub a month or two ago.

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SW1200 Wrote:

> I'd say quite a remarkable achievement, and quite
> a testament to EMD's abilities to build a
> locomotive. Granted, they've been rebuilt, but how
> many 40-year old GE locomotives are still out
> there running around?

Shucks John, just across from you at the scrapyard is a beleaguered but still(?) running GE 44 tonner that's at least 50 years old. Some of the GE 70-tonners on M&ET are nearing 60 and still tootling along. But you're right, there aren't any U25B's or U25C's out and about anymore (the only heavy GE diesels old enough to be 40+ by now).