Nostalgia & History > The Last of Georgia Central High Hood U-Boats

Although this was not my preferred time of day to be shooting in July, this would be the last time I would see the Georgia Central's high hood ex Southern Railway nee NS U23Bs in action. By this date of July 18, 2014 half the roster had already been retired by the destructive forces of GWi. These engines were well maintained by a professional shop force and showed it in the tonnage they pulled. Still with it's former Southern era black number boards, GC 3957 leads the northbound called early out of Savannah through Bellville, Georgia as an already retired and stripped 3912 sits on the old Georgia Pacific lead.

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I haven't found many ex-Southern/NS engineers who were sad to see them leave the roster.

Black and white adds to the historical feel of this image.
Bob

Some engineers didn't like U Boats or dash 7s, mostly those with larger waist sizes lol. With proper preventive maintenance and good wheels they were good engines to pull and GC put them through their paces daily with limited issues. One ex L&N U23B suffered a traction motor fire once but that was about the worst during their history on GC. GC's shop forces came from CSX at Waycross and were very much conformed to older GEs. As far as black & white it made the image better being I had to take this at midday. This view is under gwi control and they do not operate like Rail Management did. Back before gwi you could set your watch by GC's operations so this last day I had to take a trip down, I had to take what I could get. This was only a month before the remaining U23B fleet was canned.

Posted from Android

Cool shot. Thanks for sharing. Sometimes I would also shoot in black and white. Sometimes I would add a red filter to bring out details on overcast days.

Does anyone know where they went to next?

ʎɹɹɐ˥

I assume you're asking where the GEs went? All scrapped but one. The funds came about to save one, 3965 survives today in Oak Ridge, Tn. Hopefully one day it'll be dressed in Southern Railway, Lord knows there's enough EMDs in Sou but no GEs.

Posted from Android

Thanks for the information.

ʎɹɹɐ˥

Besides the usual gripes about slow to load (any GE of the period), some of the complaints from Southern engineers were about LHF - allegedly less visibility than EMDs running LHF and also more propensity for engine exhaust to enter the cab.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/22/18 06:28 by ctillnc.

ctillnc Wrote:
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> Besides the usual gripes about slow to load (any
> GE of the period), some of the complaints from
> Southern engineers were about LHF - allegedly less
> visibility than EMDs running LHF and also more
> propensity for engine exhaust to enter the cab.


the U23s weren't that slow of a loader, neither were the L&N's on csx. U18s were good engines too, U36s could be sluggish and slippery and some other models into the dash7s but they'd get used for roles they weren't intended for. As far as complainers, rrs' are like truck drivers much of the time, they whine just to hear themselves talk, if you worked for sou it was a known fact lhf was a normal thing, I've always said if you have those kinds of complaints and that's all you can do with the good momey you're being paid, you're in the wrong line of work and should consider a change. Today's young bucks dunno what it was like, they have to have a wide body with a "desk" and ac on a 60 degree day they're not even going to use. I hear the complaints allot nowa' days about spartin cabs don't have desk. I'm like My Gawd, shutup up you little _____. I'll let you fill in the blank lol.

NS7214 Wrote:
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> I assume you're asking where the GEs went? All
> scrapped but one. 

There are some in Mexico still running, still in GC paint, or the GC was striped out