The EMD GP30, Second Generation Power

EMD originally began as the Electro-Motive Corporation and has its beginnings in 1922 being based out of Cleveland, Ohio building inexpensive motorcars. With the purchase of the company in 1930 by General Motor, and more resources at its disposal the company began developing the precursor of the modern-day diesel-electric road unit (cabs and road-switchers), the streamlined trainset, which consisted of a powered car permanently attached to a few coaches (usually two or three cars). The most famous of these streamlined trainsets was the Burlington Zephyrs, a beautiful streamlined stainless steel creation (originally powered by Winton engines, which would also become a subsidiary of GM) that was extremely lightweight and fast. The original trainset, the Zephyr 9900, made headlines in 1934 when it completed a non-stop journey from Denver to Chicago in a little over 13 hours.

Because the power cars with these trainsets were permanently attached to the coaches EMC sought to design a locomotive free of this articulated setup but designed in such a manner that a railroad could still attach it to any passenger train and obtain the same, smooth streamlined look. This it did with the unveiling of the EA model in 1937, the first in a long line of passenger diesel locomotive designs that would come to be known as the E series.

Not surprisingly, soon after the EA unveiling the company decided to take things a step further and develop the first true diesel road unit, capable of pulling long freights in main line service. In 1939 it introduced the FT model (perhaps the key difference between the E and F series was that Fs rode on B-B trucks whereas Es rode on C-Cs and carried a noticeably longer carbody), the first in EMC’s F series and one of the most success diesel-electric designs of all time. The F series would go on to define American railroading for years and you can still see it in regular use today, over 60 years after it first debuted! The FT (which stood for Freight, Twenty-seven hundred horsepower) was a superb locomotive and although its 2,700 horsepower came from an A-B setup of a cab (A) and booster (B) units rated at 1,350 horsepower each, it was quickly loved by railroads for the efficiencies it held over steam such as its ruggedness and ease of maintenance.

Following the success of its cab units, EMD realized that there was a market to be made in the road-switchers, which at the time was mostly dominated by Alco with its RS series. Its first attempt at this type of locomotive, which gave the train crews both excellent vision all around the locomotive for switching and local service as well as enough horsepower to be used in main line operations, was the BL2. Although unsuccessful from a sales standpoint the BL2 was really a mere stepping-stone for its next model, the GP series (meaning General Purpose).

The GP30, which debuted in 1961 and was built through 1963, was one of the EMD’s first models of what is commonly referred today as second-generation power, or those diesel locomotives that are clearly defined from early models with less horsepower and fewer other technological features.

The GP30 was one of EMD’s first to feature the standard cab, a design that would become, well, virtually standard on diesels for the next 30+ years (until the FRA mandated that the wide "safety" cab design be employed on every new locomotive in the 1990s for added safety). The GP30's prime mover was EMD’s new 567 engine, first used in the GP20, which significantly increased horsepower from early models.

Much improved over early models like the GP7 and GP9 the GP30 boasted 2,250 horsepower, was equipped with the recently developed dynamic brake (a system for temporarily employing traction motors as generators and using the resulting electromotive force to slow the train), and featured an airtight hood that kept out dust, dirt and other particles from reaching internal components (to cool these critical components the GP30 featured a single air intake for electrical cooling, with a pressurized cooling system).

While the GP30 was not as successful as its later sisters like the GP40, GP40-2, and SD40/SD40-2, it nonetheless sold quite well at just fewer than 1,000 units (906 to be exact). When the model debuted it could be found from coast to coast on roads like the B&O, Union Pacific and Southern Railway, and was beloved by railfans for its unmistakable bulge behind and above the cab along the roof-line where the dynamic braking was housed.

Time and wear have naturally taken their toll on the GP30s' ranks but one can still find several roaming around on shortlines, Regionals, tourist railroads and even Class Is (mostly, though, as either rebuilds or slug units on Class Is). Like almost all EMD locomotives the GP30 was built to last and it has certainly lived up to this reputation!

For more information on the GP30 series consider one (or both) of the books below. Mike Schafer’s Vintage Diesel Locomotives looks at virtually all of the classic builders and models from Alco PAs to early EMD Geeps. If you’re interested in classic EMDs, or diesels in general, this book gives an excellent general history of both.

Also, Brian Solomon’s The American Diesel Locomotive also studies many of the same diesel models and builders as Mr. Schafer’s publication although at nearly twice the size the book goes into a bit more detail than Vintage Diesel Locomotives and also covers newer models. All in all, though, both books are a great read and you shouldn’t be disappointed with them, not to mention that they are loaded with photos (many in color)!