U28C / U28CG

Technical Specifics

The GE U28C emerged in the mid-1960s as General Electric's response to intensifying competition in the diesel locomotive market. During this period, both Alco and General Motors were pushing horsepower ratings upward, with Alco introducing the 2750-horsepower C628 and announcing the 3000-horsepower C630, while General Motors was testing its 3000-horsepower EMD SD40 demonstrators across various railroads. GE addressed this competitive pressure by first uprating a number of U25C units destined for the Northern Pacific, Atlantic Coast Line, and Pennsylvania Railroad in 1965, effectively previewing the capabilities that would define the U28C as a production model. The Northern Pacific received the earliest of these uprated machines between May and July 1965, initially rated at 2750 horsepower, while units delivered to the Atlantic Coast Line and Pennsylvania Railroad later that year achieved the 2800-horsepower output that would become standard. By early 1966, GE formally introduced the U28C as a distinct production model, and the type was delivered to several major American railroads over the following months. The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy and Northern Pacific received early examples built on the same 64-foot 4-inch frame that had characterized the U25C, these being known among enthusiasts and historians as Phase I units. Beginning in May 1966, GE transitioned to a longer 67-foot 3-inch frame for subsequent production, yielding the Phase II variants that went to the Louisville and Nashville, Pennsylvania Railroad, Southern Pacific, and Union Pacific. A passenger-configured derivative, the U28CG, was produced in a limited quantity for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and shared the longer Phase II frame. In total, 87 U28C units were constructed between 1965 and 1966. The U28C occupies a transitional place in the lineage of GE's Universal series locomotives, bridging the well-established U25C and the more numerous U30C that followed. Its production run was relatively brief, and the type was soon overshadowed by higher-horsepower offerings from all three major builders. Nevertheless, the U28C demonstrated GE's ability to extract greater performance from its FDL prime mover and helped maintain the company's competitive position during a critical period. At least one example has survived into preservation, with a former Union Pacific unit on display at the National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, Missouri, where a portion of its carbody has been cut away to illustrate the internal layout of a diesel-electric locomotive.

Prototype Reference

Real-world information about this equipment type