General Electric U23B and U23C
United States 1968 704 produced
Starting in 1968, GE offered four- and six-axle road switchers with an output of 2,250 hp. They were derived from the U30B and U30C, but had only 12 instead of 16 cylinders. A total of 481 of the four-axle U23B had been built by 1977 when the B23-7 became its successor in the Dash 7 range. The largest customers were the Louisville & Nashville with 90, Penn Cental with 77 and the Southern with 70. The six-axle U23C was built for tasks which required much starting tractive effort, but not much power. From a total of 223, 170 went to the Rede Ferroviária Federal S.A. in Brazil. 150 of these had been built by GE do Brazil. When the Dash 7 was introduced, there was no model with six axles with less than 3,000 hp.
Technical data
General
| Property | U23B | U23C |
|---|---|---|
| Built | 1968-1977 | |
| Manufacturers | General Electric | |
| Wheel arrangement | B-B | C-C |
| Gauge | 1,435 mm (Standard gauge) | 1,435 mm (Standard gauge); 1,600 mm (Irish broad gauge) |
Dimensions and weights
| Property | U23B | U23C |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 18.34 m | |
| Wheelbase | 13.87 m | 16.61 m |
| Service mass | 109.8 t | 157.9 t |
| Adhesion mass | 109.8 t | 157.9 t |
| Rigid wheelbase | 2.85 m | 4.19 m |
| Axle load | 27.4 t | 26.3 t |
Power plant
| Property | U23B | U23C |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | GE 7FDL-12 | |
| Engine type | V12 diesel | |
Power
| Property | U23B | U23C |
|---|---|---|
| Power source | diesel-electric | |
| Indicated power | 1,680 kW (2,284 PS) | |
| Top speed | 113 km/h | |
| Starting effort | 269.0 kN | 382.0 kN |
Calculated values
| Property | U23B | U23C |
|---|---|---|
| Factor of adhesion | 1 : 4.00 | 1 : 4.05 |
| Power-to-weight ratio | 15.3 kW/t | 10.6 kW/t |
| Adhesive weight/Total | 1 : 1.00 | |
