I can definitely concur with not liking the climb up the steps of a Dash 7. I usually threw my grip up onto the front of the nose, which is fairly easy to do on say an EMD 40 series engine, or even SD60s and 70s, but much harder on the GEs. GEs generally sit up higher.

I don't know anything about the used diesel locomotive market, but I do know the NH&I CEO Paul Nichini is a very capable business man. I'm confident that he examined all the options and scrapping them was the best business solution.

I often ran the 7087 on the Santa trains and enjoyed running her.

Ross Rowland

I remember those C30-7 cabs were so cramped if you were the person sitting next to the front door you either had to sit sideways or sit with your knees pressed against the door with your feet off the ground. I remember a engineer used to say to me "you can read a novel by the time these old GE's load up". I did like the sound and they were pretty reliable. The walkway had those little raised pegs which made it very uncomfortable to sit or get on your knees while working on the engine. Always had a small piece of plywood stashed just in case.

Does a parts supplier have to be licensed by the manufacturer? Is it different than automotive parts? I'm sure those are not licensed...or are they?

The U-series and -7 series ergonomics were designed by former KGB torture specialists, to inflict maximum amounts of pain and cramping upon the operating and maintenance crews. Those diabolical little deck dots were just one feature.

Howard P.

More 1990s GE's being cut up, around twenty total units in Welland ON, all GE. The top unit is an ex-CN cowl, and the middle and lower ex-C&NW and ex-Santa Fe (one of the red and silver units) that CN bought second-hand and rebuilt several years ago. I won't mourn them, but perhaps someone will in a few decades.

I can't sit still any longer. Out of all the big GEs, the only ones that loaded right were the C30-7, instantly giving 200 amps in throttle 1, and without belching clouds of gaggingly thick, cancerous, black smoke. Not only that, but there was a little room behind the cab where all (or most all, of course) of the relays were grouped together, with labels, and LED fault indicators, and reset tabs on them. Finally, in an uncommonly rare blitz of common sense, somebody decided to put the start button where you could push it and reach the layshaft at the same time. Too bad that they continued to improve their designs after that, meaning that they did away with everything I liked about the C30-7 as soon as they could. Will I shed any tears ??? I'll never tell.

The walkways are an interesting point. I always liked the knobby plate that GE uses (used?) because it never fails to give a good grip with regulation safety footwear. I can imagine how it feels to kneel on it, but you should be wearing KNEE PADS even when you don't think you need them. (I say this from personal experience --- if I had followed that advice 20 years ago, I would have two good legs today.) The thing is, the appropriately named "skid plate" that EMD uses gets mighty slick with even a speck of oil on it. Even on roads which maintain their power scrupulously, there can be a problem with soap residue hiding in the corner between the running board and the carbody. Even a little bit of rain or snow can turn this back into soapsuds, which run out onto the walkway, just waiting to injure an employee.

The thing is, the features I hated about the C30-7 were repeated on many GE models. I can see that the cheese grater steps got a lot of votes, which isn't hard to understand. But how come nobody mentioned the standard GE way-too-narrow walkways ? I sure got my clothes dirty on them, and tore them up much faster than on the adequate walkways which EMD managed to incorporate into their designs. Worst of all were the cab doors. I know I'm not alone in saying that I smashed my head repeatedly on them. I asked the presenter of a GE field service seminar (I still have my LMX pocket protector - what will you give me for it?) WHY they made the cabs tall enough to walk around in, but they couldn't make the *&%TY%#$*& doors tall enough to walk through.

But don't get me started.

I may have found a reason why so many GEs are being scrapped: GE 752 traction motors are used for oil drilling. From another board: http://indianarailroads.org/board/index ... #msg203885

"GE 752 motors are pulled from old GEs and used as oil drilling motors.

They go for 15,000 to 20,000 bucks a pop.
Twice that back in the early to mid 2010s when gas hit 4 bucks a gallon. Drillers would go to a GE shortline, and buy the entire roster for the motors, and the shortline would have cash left over to buy EMDs

Its the number one reason used GEs are hard to find, and when you do find em, the motors are pulled.

It's really put the hurt on anyone trying to use old GEs and ALCo when a traction motor needs replacement.
EMD traction motors for whatever reason don't get used for drilling."

Unless things have changed, and I do hope I'm wrong, there is only one B30-7 preserved, only one B32-8 and only one B40-8 preserved. That makes 1 dash7, and 2 dash8's. And no 6 axle GE preserved from either of those series.
I don't think these would be many people's favourite locos, but surely worthy of saving one of each significant variant.

Just sayin'
Wes