File:Conrail - 2233 diesel locomotive (GP30) 2 (27129391951).jpg

This is a General Motors Electro-Motive Division GP30 diesel engine. It is on display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in the town of Strasburg. The unit was built in April 1963 and has seen service as Pennsylvania Railroad # 2233, Penn Central Railroad # 2233, and Conrail # 2233. This 2,250 horsepower locomotive weighs about 122 tons.

From museum signage: "This powerful general-purpose GP-30 diesel-electric locomotive was designed for both high-speed and heavy low-speed freight trains. Having already replaced most steam locomotives in the 1950s, railroads now demanded larger and more powerful diesels to supplement and replace the earlier models. This marked the beginning of what is now commonly called the "Second Generation" of diesels. Two of the three top diesel manufacturers in the country, General Electric and Alco, introduced their first high-horsepower lines in 1960. In an effort to keep pace, the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors (EMD) unveiled the first GP-30 in 1963.

The GP-30 used the same engine as many earlier locomotives, but added a turbocharger, new electronics, and a new air blower and filtration system to get the most out of the model 465 prime mover. Its horsepower-to-weight ratio (2250 hp: 122.5 tons) was unusually high for a single unit carried by two 4-wheel trucks; the standard 1500-horsepower diesel freight locomotive of the 1960s era weighed 115 tons. The internal arrangement of these new features led to the distinctively styled roofline, unique to the GP30s.

Although the uniquely-styled roofline of the GP30 made it easily recognizable, many crews disliked the cabs for their noise, poor heating, and lack of headroom.

Not long after the GP-30 was introduced, newer and more powerful models were unveiled. These improved locomotives quickly replaced the GP-30s on the premier mainline trains. Many GP-30s were re-assigned to heavier mainline trains, or yard and local switching jobs. Like driving in the city as opposed to driving on an expressway, these new roles placed much harder loads on the locomotives, making them old before their time. By the mid-1980s, GP-30s were becoming rare on America's railroads.

The Pennsylvania Railroad received 52 GP-30s, including No. 2233, in 1963. Painted in a somber shade of solid Brunswick Green, the only ornamentation on the locomotives was the number under the cab window and two small keystone decals applied to the ends and sides.

No. 2233 became part of the Penn Central's roster on its creation in 1968, trading its dark green paint for black. The Penn Central operated 62 GP-30s, including the 52 from the Pennsylvania and 10 from the New York Central. The success of Penn Central, much like that of the GP-30s, was brief -- in 1976, No. 2233 became part of the new roster of the Consolidated Rail Corporation, known as Conrail.