my ESPEE MODELERS ARCHIVE

California's Railroad to the U.S. 1861 - 1996

Southern Pacific GP30

18 units delivered
8 units delivered to SP

Delivered in 1963.

They were used with SSW GP30's on run through freights between California and Texas.

They remained as built until retired, except for SSW #5001, which was the 'prototype' for a rebuilding program, that was deemed uneconomical.

#5001, was partially rebuilt in 1976, and was to become GP30E 5020. The rebuild was deemed uneconomical at the time, and so the rest of the units were never rebuilt. The units lingered on for ten more years until retired/scrapped sometime after 1986.

In their later years (1985/1986) they were assigned to Houston, for local work in Texas and Louisiana.

5001 doesn't seem to have made it out of Sacramento after its uncompleted rebuild in 1976.

5014 was wrecked and traded in to GE in 1972.

13 units were active or stored serviceable during 1986, SSW 5002 - 5005, 5007, 5009 and SP 5010 - 5013 and 5015 - 5017.

They do not appear on rosters later than 1986, so must have been scrapped around then.

see also: SSW GP30 page

Modeling choices at the moment are:

• For N Scale:
  • Arnold ?
  • Atlas ?
  • LifeLike will no doubt make a GP30

• For HO Scale:
  • Bachmann GP30
  • LifeLike GP30

• For S Scale:
  • ?

• For O Scale:
  • ?

Model References:

• Diesel Locomotive Cyc #2 Page 134 - GP30 Plans (Phase I)
• Model Railroading April/May 1999 pages 20-22 - SSW Diesel Detail Close-up.
• Model Railroader May 1962 - GP 30 Plans (Phase I ?).
• Railroad Modeler May 1976 - Plans (Phase I).
• Railfan & Railroad Jan. 1987 - Proto article including Roster.
• Mainline Modeler May 1989 page 52 - EMD GP30 part 1. proto article with plans, data etc
• Mainline Modeler May 1989 page 39 - EMD GP30 part 2. proto article with plans, data etc
• Mainline Modeler May 1989 page 52 - EMD GP30 part 3. proto article with plans, data etc
• Southern Pacific Historic Diesels Vol.13 by Joe Strapac

Model References:

• SPSF Motive Power - 1986 - by Joe.W.Shine.
• Diesel Era May/Jun.1995 Vol.6 No.3 Page 39 - Proto article including Roster.
• Cotton Belt Locomotives by Joe Strapac page 209, history, photo's etc...
• Cotton Belt Color Pictorial by Steve Allen Goen - color photo's, data etc...