General Electric’s “Dash 7” locomotive line was introduced as a replacement for the older “Universal-Series” of the 60s and early 70s. “Dash 7” series improvements included increased fuel efficiency, tractive effort and reliability. The B23-7 was a direct replacement for the 2,250HP U23B model, while the B30-7 replaced the 3,000HP U30B. The first B23-7s were produced for Conrail in September, 1977, and the first B30-7s were produced for Frisco three months later. B23-7 production continued through 1984, with a total of 535 units built. Conrail was the largest purchaser of the model, with a total fleet of 141 units. 199 B30-7s were produced through 1981, with the combined fleets of Southern Pacific and Cotton Belt being the largest at 110 units. Several features distinguished B23-7s and B30-7s from predecessor models. The long hood stepped outward in the area of the exhaust stack to accommodate a relocated oil cooler. In addition, the frame was 2 feet longer than that of the U23B. An FB-2 style truck was offered as standard equipment, but some railroads opted to use “trade-in” trucks. Therefore, AAR type B and Blomberg trucks could be found on some models. Six power assembly doors (located near the center of the long hood) indicated that the B23-7 was powered by a 12-cylinder GE FDL engine. Eight power assembly doors in the same location help to identify the B30-7, which included a 16-cylinder FDL engine.

Features:

• Pilots with and without anti-climber
• Cab headlights or low-nose headlights
• Cab with 4 or 2 side windows
• Bell mounted under the sill or on the long hood
• FB-2, AAR type B, or Blomberg truck side-frames as appropriate
• Separately-applied scale detail parts
• See through step detail on sill
• Etched metal radiator grilles
• Painted crew members
• Factory-equipped with AccuMate knuckle couplers
• Coupler pocket designed to accept AccuMate Proto-couplers
• Five-pole skewed armature motor with dual flywheels
• Directional lighting

Silver Sound Ready

Atlas Silver Sound Ready models are equipped with a speaker for easy conversion to sound with the addition of a decoder.

Atlas Master Series Gold Additional Features:

• Supports all DCC-programming modes
• Flexible mapping of function keys F0 to F31 .
• Follows all NMRA DCC standards and recommended practices.

ESU LokSound Functionality Features:

• Over 20 sound effects are available, including engine start-up and shutdown, prime mover sounds through all eight notches, bell, air horn, air compressor, dynamic brakes and more.
• There are 16 user-selectable horns, 2 user-selectable bells, and 2 user-selectable synchronized brake squeals.
• Manual & Automatic Notching modes with the ability to change modes ”on the fly” are provided for true realism.

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