GE U18B

Infobox Locomotive Auto
name=GE U18B
powertype=Diesel
gauge=RailGauge|ussg

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caption=A Maine Central Railroad U18B, on lease to the short-lived Niagara and Western New York Railroad, July 2002
builder=ge
aarwheels=B-B
cylindercount=V8
primemover=GE 7FDL
builddate=March 1973 – October 1976
totalproduction=163
locale=North America
poweroutput=1,800 hp (1,342 kW)
topspeed=varies by railroad
weight=varies by railroad
tractiveeffort=varies by railroad
length=54 ft 8 in
enginetype=4-stroke diesel
aspiration=turbocharger
cylindersize=9 in × 10.5 in
displacement=5,344 in³
transmission=DC generator, DC traction motors
locobrakes=Straight air, Dynamic
trainbrakes=26-L air
buildmodel=U18BThe GE U18B Diesel-electric locomotive was introduced by GE Transportation as a branch line roadswitcher in 1973.Easy to spot due to its relatively short length — 54 ft 8 in — it was the first and only North American locomotive powered by the 8-cylinder 7FDL engine.

The Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL) bought 105 U18Bs, far more than the second-best U.S. customer, the Maine Central Railroad (MEC), which ordered 10. Most of the SCL and MEC U18Bs rode on refurbished Blomberg trucks, recycled from old EMD locomotives, making the U18B even more visually distinct from other GE locomotives.

Many railfans refer to GE's Universal Series locomotives as "U-Boats." Due to its smaller size, the U18B received the nickname "Baby Boat."

Not many U18Bs still exist, but some shortline railroads, such as the Pickens Railway, still have several U18Bs in everyday service.

GE included information about a B18-7 locomotive (which would have followed the U18B) in its 1978 "Series-7 Road Locomotives" service manual, but none of these updated units were ordered, sold, or built.

Original Owners

References

* Sarberenyi, Robert. " [http://users.inna.net/~jaydeet/u18b.htm GE U18B Original Owners] ".
* GE Transportation. " [http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/manual/ge-7s01.pdf Locomotive Service Manual for Series-7 Road Locomotives (Section 1)] ".
* GE Transportation. " [http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/manual/u33-gen.html Operating Manual - Diesel-Electric Locomotive - GEJ-3856C (1973)] ".