GE B23-7

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7 active listings across 2 sources

Source	Listings	Price Range	Avg Price
White Rose Hobbies	3	$170–$170	$169.99
Model Train Stuff	4	$183–$259	$240.02

Technical Specifics

The GE B23-7 entered production in late 1977 as the direct successor to General Electric's U23B, which had been manufactured from early 1968 through mid-1977. The new model represented GE's transition into its Dash 7 series, a line of locomotives that incorporated refined electrical systems, improved adhesion control, and updated cab designs compared to the preceding Universal series. The B23-7 was positioned to compete directly with the Electro-Motive Division's highly successful GP38-2, targeting railroads seeking a capable and economical four-axle road switcher in the 2,250 horsepower range. Over the course of its production run, which lasted through 1984, General Electric delivered a total of approximately 537 units to customers in the United States and Mexico. Nine domestic railroads purchased the type, and it also found buyers among Mexican carriers including Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Mexico. General Electric's Brazilian manufacturing operation assembled 13 units in December 1979 for customers including the United South Eastern Railways and the National Railways of Mexico. An additional 17 locomotives were assembled in Mexico from GE-supplied kits for Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Mexico, numbered in two separate series. General Electric also produced a ten-unit variant designated the BQ23-7 for the Seaboard Coast Line, numbered 5130 through 5139, which featured a distinctive Q-style cab with an extended nose section. Among the more notable B23-7 operators was Southern Railway, which took delivery of 54 units built to the road's own specification, featuring Southern's characteristic high short hood configuration. The Missouri Pacific Railroad participated in an important developmental chapter of the model's history when it received three modified units designated B23-7A in 1980, numbered 4667 through 4669. These locomotives used the same 12-cylinder FDL prime mover but were uprated to 3,000 horsepower, and the operational experience gained from testing them across the Missouri Pacific system contributed directly to the development of the subsequent GE B30-7A model.

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