B36 7 - MagnumMacKivler/RLCPT2 GitHub Wiki
A trio of Seaboard B36-7s doing what they do best: fast freight trailer trains. Photo credit Craig Walker
The GE B36-7 is a 4 axle B axle arrangement, 3600 horsepower, model of the Dash 7 series of locomotives. This locomotive, albeit indirectly, can be cited as the descendant of the U36B.
The B36-7 came from an effort from the St Louis Southwestern, who saw the success of Missouri Pacific uprating the B23-7 to a B30-7A, and Conrail with the C30-7A utilizing improvements on the V12 prime mover to see what could be done to increase the power on the preexisting V16. SSW, AKA Cotton Belt, was interested in ramping up a high horsepower, 4 axle engine to pull their high speed intermodal trains across the relatively flat southern California to the midwest routing they ran with parent company Southern Pacific. After testing on 4 B30-7s, the B36-7 was made and offered as a production locomotive, with Cotton Belt retaining these modified locomotives.
Additional purchasers much for the same fast intermodal/semi trailer freight trains that needed to run from point A to B were Conrail (60), Santa Fe (16), Seaboard (120), Southern Pacific (16), and the Southern Railway (with 6 examples with the distinct Southern high hood being made). Production of these units ran from 1980 to 1985.
A rather unique purchaser for this locomotive was the Cerrejon Coal Project, a Columbian open pit coal mine. Cerrejon has a 93 mile railroad line that connects the mine to the Bolivar port. Four of these units were purchased for this purpose new from General Electric, with additional secondhand units from the Dash 7 series being exported out.
By the late 2000s, all class 1s had retired their Dash 7 generation locomotives as a whole, with CSX being a stronghold and the B36-7 model staying in the game the longest until December of 2009 (Most other railroads retired theirs usually no later than 2007 or so). This, in a way, makes the ex Seaboard B36-7s unique on the CSX roster as some of the last Dash 7s as a generation on any Class 1 operation.
| General Info | - |
|---|---|
| Prime Mover | (1) |
| Horsepower | (1) |
| Truck Type | GE FB-2 |
| Axles | 4 |
| Traction Motors | 4 |
| Minimum Weight | 253,000 lbs |
| Maximum Weight | 280,000 lbs |
| Model Base Speed | 70 MPH |
| Top Speed | 70, 79, or 88 MPH |
| Electrical System | - |
|---|---|
| Generator Max Current | 5400 Amps |
| Max Traction Motor (TM) Current | 1600 Amps |
| Max Continuous TM Current | 1195 Amps |
| Traction Motor Type | DC |
| Factor of Adhesion | 29% ⚠ |
| Transition Mode | Automatic, no selector |
| Transition Groups | 1 |
| Transition Shunts | 1 |
| Generator Transition | Yes |
| Traction Control | APR + Sand (2) |
| Dynamic Braking (DB) Mode (if used) | Mechanical Blowers (3) |
| DB Max Current | 740 Amps ⚠ |
| DB Max Continuous Current | 740 Amps |
| Blended Braking | No |
| Miscellaneous | - |
|---|---|
| Head-End Power (HEP) | No |
| HEP Power Consumption | N/A |
| HEP Standby/Run Mode | N/A |
| Load Ramp Speed | 3 Amps/Tick ⚠ |
| TM Overload Protection | Yes |
| Starter Mode | Manual Primer, Manual Start |
| Air Brake Schedule | 26-L |
| Compressor CFM | 236.25 (Wabco 3CDCBL @ 1050 RPM) |
| Main Reservoir Volume | 32.4 Cu.Ft |
Notes
⚠: Not Verified or Educated Guess
(1): New Series 7 era "36" equipment horsepower is year dependent. On release in 1980, they carried 7FDL16G's with 3600 for traction; this increased to 3700 in 1982. 1983 brought about the 7FDL16H and a minor horsepower increase to 3750, and 1984 brought another increase to 3800 horsepower. If your chosen New Series 7 customer is following factory recommended engine core replacement regimen, most if not all B36-7's would be 3800 horsepower by end of life.
(2): SENTRY wheelslip control is a creep control system which utilizes generator transition through the GTA24 and the 752F traction motor to control adhesion precisely. Please replace with creep control if/when it becomes available, thank u - Bouggeard
(3): GE made available electrically blown dynamic brakes as an option in 1983; dynamic braking capacity remained unchanged.