A Tribute To GE's Dash 7 Locomotives (DVD Video)

This video covers the time period of November 1994 through August 2000. The video was shot in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, and Tennessee on BNSF's Needles and Thayer Subdivisions; CSXT's Boyles Terminal, Etowah, and W&A Subdivisions; Norfolk Southern's Atlanta North, Atlanta South, Birmingham Terminal, CNO&TP Third, and NA Districts; and Union Pacific's Brinkley Subdivision. General Electric's Dash 7 locomotives were affectionately known as "B-boats" or "C-Boats" depending on whether or not they were four-axle or six-axle locomotives.

Introduced in late 1976, the Dash 7 locomotive series was General Electric's attempt to wrestle away some of the market share from its arch rival in the locomotive building industry, GM's Electro Motive Division. With the mass arrival of newer GE C44-9W and GM SD70M locomotives on today's Class One U.S. railroads, the number of remaining Dash 7 locomotives still in active service is ever dwindling. Both BNSF and CSXT still operate a moderate fleet of Dash 7s but Norfolk Southern retired the last remaining Dash 7 locomotives on its roster in 2003. Union Pacific still operates a handful of Dash 7 locomotives.

We begin our journey on a cold November 1994 afternoon by catching high hood NS U23B #3956 leading NS intermodal train #I02 at Austell, Georgia, and end our trip on a hot and humid August 2000 morning by capturing the ONLY ex-Conrail C30-7A to ever be repainted in NS paint, the #8107, heading up "hot" NS autoparts manifest #197 at Rockmart, Georgia. We will witness B23-7s, B30-7s, B30-7A1s, B36-7s, C30-7s, C30-7As, C36-7s, and even U23Bs (as a BONUS) LEADING trains on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe, CSXT, Norfolk Southern, and Union Pacific railroads! Sit down and relax in that easy chair as we pay a special tribute to General Electric's Dash 7 locomotives!

Digital Color and Sound
Running Time 61 Minutes
Copyright 2009 SouthEast Railfanning Video Productions/Brian Morgan

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• railroad videos
• Norfolk Southern
• CSX
• locomotives
• southeast railfanning

[LD60]

Man I wish BN got some Dash 8's. Any type of locomotive from that series would've looked good in any BN paint scheme.

[southern7002x]

I agree.

[MrZkr123]

ou can still see them on the Providence and Worchester freight line

[southern7002x]

Interesting!

[southern7002x]

@fyadcorp Most railroaders I know despised the Dash 7s.

[fyadcorp]

@southern7002x They had an odd cab setup... the toilet was to the rear of the cab and the electronics were in the nose. In almost all other engines it was the opposite. I remember them being hard to get in and out of.

[railfan78559]

The Dash 7 will always be a locomotive icon. These locomotives have worked millions of miles on this nation's railroads including those in Canada and Mexico. British Columbia has a fleet of C33s (U33Cs).  In Mexico, Dash 7s are being used to pull scenic trains like the copper canyon.

[southern7002x]

Most NS crews that I know around here hated them, especially the B23-7s.

[southern7002x]

Glad you enjoyed the video!

[southern7002x]

Thanks, variety is what made railfanning fun back in those days. 

[southern7002x]

I definitely agree with you. I'm sure the GEVOs are much better locomotives than the Dash 7s ever were both inside and out but I've never liked the way they look.

[southern7002x]

You're welcome.  Glad you enjoyed the video.