The GE U30B was a diesel-electric locomotive produced by GE Transportation between 1966 and 1975. It was a further development of the U28B, with a 3,000 hp (2,200 kW) 16-cylinder prime mover. [1] The U30B competed with the EMD GP40 and the ALCO Century 430, but was not as successful as the GE U30C.

In many ways, the U30B was a milestone locomotive, allowing General Electric to finally offer a 3,000 horsepower road-switcher under a single hood. During the horsepower race of the 1960's, all three builders worked towards, and finally achieved, a 3,000 horsepower variant.

Diesel & Electric Locomotive Specifications, 1981, by F. K. Hudson.

The GE U30B was a diesel-electric locomotive produced by GE Transportation between 1966 and 1975. It was a further development of the U28B, with a 3,000 hp (2,200 kW) 16-cylinder prime mover. The U30B competed with the EMD GP40 and the ALCO Century 430, but was not as successful as the GE U30C.

NYC 2858 and 2859 (b/n 36397,36398) were ordered as U30B and their builder's plates were stamped U30B, but GE delivered them in September 1967 as U33B prototypes (GE did the same thing with a Milwaukee U30C order at the end of the year).

Consequently, GE had introduced their U30B locomotives and WP tested this new demonstrator set as well. WP realized that they could purchase 5 U30B's for the price of 4 SD45's and GE's 4 cycle engines were a lot more fuel efficient than EMD's 20 cylinder monster.

Conrail owned 60 of this 3,000 horsepower dynamic brake equipped model from GE. All were of New York Central heritage and Penn Central ownership and were built between December of 1966 and December of 1967.

The GE U30B was a diesel-electric locomotive produced by GE Transportation between 1966 and 1975. It was a further development of the U28B, with a 3,000 hp (2,200 kW) 16-cylinder prime mover. [1] The U30B competed with the EMD GP40 and the ALCO Century 430, but was not as successful as the GE U30C.

The U30B and U30C were able to reach a total of almost 900 units because EMD's production was at capacity. The U33C also made it to 375 units. The Southern Pacific accounted for 212 U33Cs. Of the U30C, 180 went to the Burlington Northern and 150 to the Union Pacific.

U-Boats were never common on the IC. In 1967-68 the road sampled GE's product with small orders of six U30Bs and ten U33Cs. U30B 5005 is shown here at East St Louis in serious need of a bath; it was one of five that were sold to the short-lived Iowa RR in 1982.