Did I ever mention that I like GP30’s!

When will a manufacturer offer the N&W (or Southern) high short hood GP30? Those are the best looking GP30s ever built, in my opinion!

Had no idea, Frank.

 

I like them, too, but only own one -- EMD Demonstrator. Missed out on the others or they were in that fictional road I don't like to talk about. Would like to see MTH do the pinstripe/bookend ATSF's and CNW in Premier with Proto-3.

 

It's not quite finished, got a few more details to wrap up.

 

 

Good Day, 

 

Your ATSF GP30 looks fantastic! The custom work on top looks great. The Santa Fe GP30's are a classic. Here are several pictures from photo collection.

 

Regards,

Frank 

I will want to pick up one the WBB GP30's when they're released.  Probably the GN.

Alan

What GP30's should look like!

Here is MTH Premier Reading 5513 (the first production GP30) in a meet with Reading T-1 2100 painted and detailed as Reading 2124 by Reading Steam Guru. The 60' Madison cars are Williams in a two-tone green Reading Company scheme. The GP30 is pulling a freight headed by a Weaver Reading hopper with speed lettering.

As the engineer in this Lionel Burlington can attest, 'That is one nice ride'

FYI for those in the Baltimore area, the B&O Museum's short excursion train is being powered by a former B&O GP30 in "Sunburst" paint for the next (likely) few weeks. Rare to see that engine in public view. Rarely operates and rarely pulls public trains. 

 

Earlier this summer, I had the opportunity to operate Western Maryland Scenic GP30 502 for about 2-3 miles. Neat experience. 

Something different, BN GP30 modified to be a GP39E.  What did the E stand for?  This would be a neat model!

 

Regards. 

Swafford

 

Now THAT's what I'm talking about!!!

 

I have a custom made trio of N&W GP30s, #524, #525, & #527, in HO scale in my display case. Sure would like to get the exact same three units in O-Scale.

The "E" meant that the complete rebuild was done by EMD. The other two rebuilders of those original GP30s was: "V" for VMV, and "M" Morrison-Knutson. All those old GP30s and GP35s received rebuilt 645 prime movers, an AR10 main generator/alternator, Dash-2 electrical controls, AAR control stand, and a bunch of other stuff I can't remember.

Hot Water:  I remember hearing that the GP30 was not a totally successful engine as built by EMD.  I'm not sure just what it's problems really were but I know that there were far fewer built than the GP-38 series.

 

Am I right on that or am I confusing that with another engine?

 

Paul Fischer

The GP30, with its 567D3 turbocharged engine, really didn't have that many problems. The electrical system was, however much more problematic. Plus the GP35 came out pretty quickly.

Hot Water, when Mike Wolf was here for the NS Heritage event several of us expressed the desire for a high hood GP30.  When I told him that there are probably two ways to do the Southern (with and with out the front seal) and five or six ways to do the N&W (lettering, logo, and paint color) plus the NS version he raised an eyebrow.  He then went out to the two I pictured here to take pictures.  So we can hope. 

 

And since we have an operating GP30 here an authentic sound file could be recorded.

I like it. What did it start out as?

Love those Hi-hood GP 30's and I am a steam guy! 

 

 

Visit my new website Bo's Trains at http://www.bostrains.com

My repainted Lionel GP30. Of course after I did this, WBB announces they are going to do C&O GP30's.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The C&O's are nice, but their younger siblings beat them hands down IMHO ;-)

 

Its the Lionel GP30 non powered unit. I have a powered Legacy unit as well, just haven't worked on it yet. Needed to practice with the dummy unit first.

 

The truck sideframes were modified by removing the outter brakeshoes, fixed pilots which was a major modification, removed footboards from pilot and scratch built the flat pilots you see now (another major project), new air hoses & MU hoses, speed recorder cable, cab vents, removed the sun shades and mounted in the down positon, removed crew figures, roof top AC unit, scratch built antenna mount, painted the anti glare panel on the nose and tops of walkways, added fuel sight glass to one side of tank that Lionel forgot, and then a light weathering to tone down the bright yellow.  

GP30 with a high hood difines UGLY!

First TMCC loco I ever bought was the B&O GP-30 in the sunburst livery. Looks like the one up at the museum in Baltimore.

Give me some of that high nose GP30 action! Some of them even made it into NS livery:

 

http://www.rrpicturearchives.n...Picture.aspx?id=9104

 

Bob

Why did GM put that roof casting on the 30's?  It is unlike anything else they made.

 

And UP did have some GP30B's.  I have read the B's had steam generators.  Were they ever used on passenger trains?

I'm not sure why GP30s have a reputation for being ugly.  IMHO they were the only hood unit that, to my eyes, had given ANY consideration to style.  If the GP30 were a steamer, we'd be calling it "Semi-streamlined."

 

Soo Line GP30 #700

 

 

Soo Line GP30 #703

 

Andrew

From a technological standpoint, the GP30 was EMD's first unit with a pressurized carbody. They also made a jump in the model numbers just for the heck of it. I remember a GE guy reminiscing, "we were really worried when EMD came out with the GP30 ... we thought they had a 3000 HP unit!" This was after the SD24 that had 2400 HP.

 

I've wondered if the unique carbody styling had anything to do with accomodating the new Dynavanes air filtering setup which did inertial filtering of air for the equipment blower and engine air intake. I didn't get to work on locos that old and never inspected one that close.

 

I remember seeing A-B-A sets of GP30's working UP's Park City branch in Utah circa 1978. They looked good in that arrangement. 

 

 

Along the Columbia River in 1968, this consist has at least three GP30's. I took this shot with my first Brownie camera, my second roll of 8-exposure film, and always thought this photo had an odd model-railroad look to it with a painted backdrop. Little did I know that I would be working for UP 10 years later, by which time the GP30's were mostly shuffled off into secondary duties.

On the subject of the GP30, I've seen the new WBB unit. It's refreshing to see a combination of a correctly proportioned , well detailed shell mounted atop a smooth running mechanism without the electronics required for command control operation for those of us who prefer to run conventionally. I hope the GP30 is an indicator of more like this coming our way.

 

Bob    

Here here!!! I have one GP-30. A dead MTH Premier unit I got cheap. Put a WBB DCU in it and I am a happy owner!!! MTH Premier looks with simple brain! I am sure I'd be happy with a WBB unit when they do a road I like but until then my D&RGW Frankenstein unit will do.

Good Day,

 

I'd like a trio of these GP30's!

 

Regards,

Swafford

 

 

 

 

A Southern Railway unit:

 

 

Bob

I hate to admit it but that ugly thing is starting to grow on me.

Maybe if Williams paints one like this I will buy one.

Good Day,

 

Anyone have a close up picture of a Union Pacific GP30 A-B-A set?

 

Regards,

Swafford 

I like GP30's too. I think they're very unique looking loco's and tend to stand out when mixed with other geeps or other larger loco's. I consider them to be "old school classics".

 

I'm currently building a few of them in 2rail. I'm experimenting with mating a Lionel SP GP30 to an Atlas GP35 chassis, although the cab is a phase I and not the phase II found on SP prototypes. I like WBB GP30 for the fact that it is a phase II cab that the SP used on their prototypes. and I think it looks good with the extended cab. I'll start purchasing a few of the WBB 30's just for the phase II cab. I saw them upclose at a recent show, and although they aren't as detailed as the Lionel version, they look pretty nice, and since I plan on just using the shell for my conversions, the price is very attractive. MTH and Lionel only manufactured the phase I cabs on their GP30's. Here are a few pics of my experiment. 

love that N&W

N&W's GP30s wore this scheme as well:

  

 

Bob

 

 

 

 

 

 

High nose GP30 on the Indiana & Ohio:

  

 

Bob

Although I love the look of the GP30, the high hood ruined the styling, IMHO.  Oddly enough, I generally always favored high hoods, but in this case I'll make an exception!

 

Stack

I saw this GP30 unit in Oregon a couple years ago. It says "Remote Control Equipped".

 

 

Good Day,

 

Anyone purchase GP30's from the latest MTH production run? That CB&Q looks great!

 

Regards,

Swafford

 

The best I see is that there were may be six scheme variations of the Norfolk & Western high nose GP30s.  Two variations for the Southern, in fact three or may be four if you add the RC equipped.  Then a NS version.  Plus the possible short lines variations.  So it seems like there could a return on the dollar to produce these.

Seem to remember a Trains article stating that the body for the GP30 was designed by the GM styling department. For cost saving reasons the replacement GP35 went back to the more typical geep styling. The GP30 was many railfan's favorite geep. MY Lionel CSX GP30 gets run often.

Did I ever mention that I like GP30’s. 

 

Regards,

Swafford 

NO.

Good Day,

 

I'd like a trio of these GP30's!

 

Regards,

Swafford

 

Well you may want to start looking! 

 

Good Day,

 

Six GP30’s at notch 8 would sound fantastic!

 

Regards,

Swafford

CSX continues to get good service from GP30 units converted to road slugs:

 

 

Bob

GP30s are a favorite of mine.  I need a pair Legacy units dressed like kanawha's C&O beauty.

I wish Lionel would have produced those Lionelvilke & Western GP30s that were cataloged last year.

The Conrail 2170 still wearing its Reading colors shortly after CR's inception:

  

 

Bob

Speaking of high hood GP30's, Western Pacific had an order in for 10 of them in silver and orange with high hood noses and their signature garbage can headlights. Too bad they were so far down on the list EMD told them if they went with GP35's they'd be on the top of the list.  The rest is history, WP never continued their high hood purchases but I can see an NW unit getting kitbashed into a what if WP unit.

Greg

The Lionel 28557 CP Rail "5000" is the first Legacy diesel I purchased, from the 2006 Vol2 catalog.

 

I'm kind of partial to this one.

 

This was the Redskins unit in its previous career:

  

 

Bob

Good Day,

 

Who will be the first to offer the UP GP30 A and B Units!

 

Regards,

Swafford

 

 

 

UP B Unit.......................sweet!

 

Regards,

Swafford

If I had been smart (oh well, so much for that) and rich, I would have bought all three road numbers.

 

Great picture.

Swafford,

 

Check out this link, they're S scale and not quite notch 8 but they sound good together. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfX-5In1EG0

Good Day Superpower

 

WOW, Those S Scale GP30's in the video look great.....sound great! Thanks for sharing the video.

 

Regards,

Swafford 

I have to agree that the highhood GP30s are nice looking, especially Southern 2601. A few years ago, I got to go up to Spencer with a friend and rode in the cab. The blue light (I think it was the blue one) kept illuminating and a bell would ring. The engine would keep shutting down. A mechanic went to look at 2601 and after that, the crew went to fetch the navy switcher and let us ride in it! Has either Lionel or MTH made a Southern GP30 numbered 2601?

 

Have never seen 522, how often does it come down to Spencer, NC?

How about some ARR:

 

GP30 #2000 was acquired new in 1963.  It was the Alaska Railroad's first 2,250 H.P. diesel electric locomotive.  It arrived at Whittier on April 20, 1963 amid a blinding snowstorm.  It was rebuilt as GP30u 2504 in 1974.The photo above was taken when she was first delivered.  It is along side of the Anchorage shops on the fuel rack.

 

 

EMD GP30 no. 2000 (builder number 28171) was acquired news in 1963.   It was

rebuilt in 1974 as a GP30u no. 2504 and finally retired in 2001.  Number 2000 is shown in  Fairbanks on 5/12/73.    Photo courtesy of the Dean Motis Collection Photographer unknown

 

Cold and Ugly, but it was new.

 

Good Day,

 

ATSF GP30's.........................fantastic!

 

Regards,

Swafford

 

 

Switching with a borrowed GP30B ?

Good Day Everyone,

 

Have you added a GP30 to your model railroad yet?

 

Regards,

Swafford 

 

Actually it's spelt "Morrison-Knudsen"

Looks good Superpower,

 

Are you also going to also add the SP lighting package?

Got a shot of this BNSF GP-39 yesterday in Dalhart, TX (in the panhandle) on the way back from Denver. I think this is one of the GP-30s that was rebuilt by BN; they put a GP-38 engine in the GP-30 body. Nice seeing a "GP-30" in active service, even if it's re-engined. Additionally nice seeing an engine with a Santa Fe paint job hooked up with it.

 

 

The only diesel on my roster.

 

 

On the phase I the cab side windows are centered on the cab, on the phase II the cab is longer so the windows are closer to the front of the cab.

Will add more to the stable if offered in the next MTH catalog. Did get one of my ATSF GP35's today. Will try to get it out onto the layout this weekend.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.n...icture.aspx?id=89553

The Chicago & Eastern Illinois owned three GP30s. When they merged with the Missouri Pacific, the GP30s briefly had a red C&EI buzzsaw on the cab and were renumbered into the Mopac numbers. After a brief stay, the 3 GP30s were given to the Louisville & Nashville as part of the agreement to split the C&EI up.

 

Dan

looks like CSX  has made road slugs out of them

Those CSX guys never even blew the horn when backing up over the crossing?

Not a GP-30 but this MTH Ohio Central GP-35 from Jason's Trains showed up at the door last week. The MTH Ohio Central GP-38 now has a lash-up partner.

 

 

Good Day Bill,

 

The Ohio Central Geep's looking good! I like that color scheme!

 

Regards,

Frank 

Good Day,

 

How about Lionel or MTH offer the GP39-2M in the new BNSF color scheme?

 

Regards,

Swafford

 

 

 Wow Frank. What is that one? I'll have to look for more details about it. I have a G scale GP30 that I'd like to modernize. I thought they were all used as slugs by now?

 I like the look of that Seaboard unit.

 I like this one too:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.n...cture.aspx?id=842793

 

 

EMD GP 30

I assume the 1962 Engine # also denotes year of introduction / manufacture.

Good Day,

 

I wondering what road names Lionel will present next time?

 

Regards,

Swafford

I had to add a picture of the completed engine to the thread. My earlier post still had painters tape in the windows and no weathering.

 

Still some work to do on the pilot and some detail parts to add, but my RDG GP30 is 95% complete.  (Well, until I upgrade to PS2 and add marker lights.)

Fans of the GP30 should take a look at the new Lionel catalog. There are high nose N&W and Southern units in it.

 

Bob

Along with the demo unit.

 

But I like my older PRR units with the Trainphone!

 

 

Mike R. and the other four or five Lionel reps that visited the local toy train shop in Spencer (Concord only a few miles away)  several times within the last year LISTENED!

 

I have been emailing a VP at MTH for at least 4 or 5-years about a High Nose GP30.  When Mike W. was here 2+-years ago for NS-Heritage Event discussed with him.  He claimed he was going to take picture of “our” active Southern 2601.  At that time we also were hosting an active N&W 522.  But obviously NO action.  On the other hand Mike R. and company LISTENED in less than a year.

 

Ron

The Reading & Northern bought some of the old Santa Fe GP-30's and might have painted up for Reading & Northern RR. Reading & Northern the regional railroad in eastern PA.

 

Lee Fritz

The B&O owned 77 units:

       
       

Nice photo of the GP-30. How about a side view?

 

Lee Fritz

Frank, check out the new Lionel catalog.

 

Larry

I don't know that I like the GP30 enough to pay the inflated prices in the new catalog, even with discounts.

I like the GP30. Thankfully, they did not have any of my railroads included this time.

 

There is the MTH catalog coming in 5 or 6 weeks.

 

Andrew

Boy, tell me about it! I model the steam era of early to mid 1950s, but I began my career with EMD delivering the GP30s to the N&W Rwy, during late June 1962. Yes, I REALLY want one of those hi-nose N&W models, ESPECIALLY if they offer road numbers 524, 525, or 527, as I made my first "road trip" on those 3 units, up to Hagerstown, MD.

 

But, I do NOT plan on paying over $500 for just one darned model!!!!     What in the world is going on with Lionel and their pricing?

 

I would have liked to seen these in the new Lionel catalog. Oh well, my bank account thanks you Lionel!

my last train movie features a lot of gp30 action...

 

and I just so happen to have an Overland SOU  HH ph 2....thinking of doing it N&W

whats the difference in ph1 and ph2

I agree with laidoffsick. I was hoping for some Santa Fe's in the original paint. I would also like to get some Cotton Belt, Great Northern and KCS. So my wallet is safe as well. I might break down on a demo model. But first if I am going to spend $470, I want somebody at Lionel Guarantee that the back steps align. Remember the last fiasco. That kept me from buying the SP version until one came up on e__y for $250 brand new. For that price I forgave the problem.

 

As promised...

 

I took notice of the UP version, but don't like the paint scheme nearly as well as the previous set (late TMCC R/S 5 version) that I have. The earlier set has the larger "Union Pacific" lettering and engine number on the side, red with black outline, among other things, which I much prefer. And there is a matching dummy unit.

 

Maybe I missed it, but I haven't seen anyone comment that there are no dummy engines available with this new group of GP30s. 

Yes, but I thought we were all discussing GP30 units.

No dummies with the GP30s, either! (made the correction)

Any new pictures of your EMD GP30's?

 

Have a great day!

 

Regards,

Swafford

 

Three UP GP30's on a grain train in 1983.  Wasn't too long after that UP would start retiring them.  Did I miss pictures of the Bachmann model?  Any comments on their fidelity to scale?

Greg

I'm ready to see the new Lionel EMD Demo GP30!  What color schemes will be next?

 

Regards,

Swafford

 

GP30's... What's not to like?

There is just something about a GP30 and the remarkable thing is that carbody is still in mainline service today.