Just a curiousity question. How many GP-30's are still in use by Class 1 railroads? The reason I ask is that I saw a GP-30 on the front of a CSX tank train in Ashland, KY yesterday.

JD Johnson, Morehead and North Fork Railroad Historian

If that "GP30" you saw on CSX was numbered in the 2200s or 2300s it was a road slug made from a GP30 carbody. Is that still a "GP30?" I'd say without an engine it's not, but "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Believe what you wish.

BNSF - GP30M's (?) several still in operation, the only class 1 using them
CSX - all GP30's and 35's are RDMT (Road Mate) slugs.
NS - No GP30's at all (not even slugged)
UP - Same as NS.

Plenty are in use on shortlines and tourist operations however.

I was curious since you don't see this model very often any more. It was painted really nicely and was on the head end of the train too.
I was driving so I did not get the number of the locomotive.

Thanks for the info,

JD Johnson, Morehead and North Fork Railroad Historian

I read somewhere that the ones on BNSF are GP39's now, they rebuilt a bunch of 30's an 35's to be 39's- uprated to 2500HP with 12-645 turbo engines and 39-2 electricals.
Awhile back there was one on ozark for sale- only a shell, but it was built with ALCO trucks, probably a rare one. I wonder if it got scrapped?

Several roads did this. I know Southern did several units like this, from traded in RS units. GM&O also did this, however I cannot recall the other roads that did.

The Milwaukee Road's first GP-30s had Alco trucks. I was told that they were hard riding.

Southern did this on GP35's, but not GP30's.

BNSF was using ex-Santa Fe GP30's and 35's on local freights in Southern California up until about two years ago. Most were still in the blue-and-yellow paint job, but had changed road numbers three or four times. Nowadays, the typical power is GP60M's, often in the "Warbonnet Revival" exterior decoration. Most of them have a big red BNSF on the long hood. Some still have the Santa Fe on the hood and BNSF on the cab under the road number. I saw one of the latter units with the BNSF on one side of the cab covered with red spray paint. Merger? What merger?
To bring this into the "railway preservation" area, the subject of preserving a GP30 has been raised at one museum, and I think at least one has already joined a museum roster.

If I recall correctly, southeastern railway museum in GA has a ex-southern unit, I don't remember if its a high nose or not.

I think carolina southern had a high nose ex southern unit, I wonder if they're still using it?

Southeastern Railway Museum has Southern 2594 and it is currently being leased to TVRM for use on their trains. It is in fact a highhood.

Spencer has Southern 2600 and it too is still in use at their museum, also highhood.

There is another Southern 30 at Oak Ridge and it is being restored.

I think there are a couple of other ex-Southern 30s out there but that is all that have been saved.

I believe at least two UP 30s have been saved and one WP 30 as well.

There is a NKP GP-30 (903 maybe) in Bellevue Oh.

Soo Line #700 is in operation with the museum at Duluth, Soo Line #703 is on display at the Colfax RR Museum and Green Bay has the shell of a WC GP30 on display.

An eastern NC shortline, Carolina Coastal, uses one on a daily basis.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=312010

The ex-SOU high hood on the Carolina Southern was up for sale the last I heard.