The GE B36-7 is a 4-axle

diesel-electric locomotive A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the prime mover (locomotive), prime mover is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotives have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is conv ...

built by

GE Transportation Systems GE Transportation is a Division (business), division of Wabtec. It was known as GE Rail and owned by General Electric until sold to Wabtec on February 25, 2019. The organization manufactures equipment for the Rail transport, railroad, marine, mi ...

between January 1980 and September 1985. 222 examples of this locomotive were built for

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

n railroads and eight units were built for a Colombian coal mining operation. The units were designed as successors to GE's U36B's. Of the 230 locomotives built, 180 of them were built for two Eastern railroads -

Seaboard System Railroad The Seaboard System Railroad, Inc. was a US Class I railroad that operated from 1982 to 1986. Since the late 1960s, Seaboard Coast Line Industries had operated the Seaboard Coast Line and its sister railroads—notably the Louisville & Nashv ...

(which became part of

CSX Transportation CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...

in 1986) and

Conrail Conrail , formally the Consolidated Rail Corporation, was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeastern United States between 1976 and 1999. The trade name Conrail is a portmanteau based on the company's legal name. It continues to do busin ...

. These 4-axle locomotives were powerful when introduced in 1980. When first built the units were rated at , later versions were rated at . They were designed for fast and priority service, moving intermodal and container trains.

Design

The B36-7 was developed from the B30-7, and externally is identical to its predecessor. The first 4 B36-7s were built for the

Cotton Belt The Cotton Belt is a region of the Southern United States where cotton was the predominant cash crop from the late 18th century into the 20th century.

in January 1980, as modified B30-7s with increased horsepower and several new design features: according to ''Extra 2200 South'' magazine these units featured General Electric's new Sentry Adhesion System, a wheel slip detection system. These 3600 horsepower units also featured the new GE 752AF traction motor, the new GTA-24 traction alternator and 83:20 fine tooth gearing.

Production

Conrail B36-7 5054 at Cove, PA (24911988614)

Following the 4 Cotton Belt units, GE started official B36-7 production at its Erie, PA facility. The second order for B36-7s was built for the Santa Fe in October and November 1980. Between 1983 and 1985, Conrail, Santa Fe, Southern Pacific, and Seaboard System placed further B36-7 orders. Production ended in September 1985 when the final B36-7 was built for Seaboard.

Original owners

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ge B36-7 B36-7 B-B locomotives Diesel-electric locomotives of the United States Railway locomotives introduced in 1980 Freight locomotives Standard gauge locomotives of the United States Standard gauge locomotives of Colombia Diesel-electric locomotives of Colombia

Design

Production

Original owners

See also

References