Amtrak P30CH Positioning Move

Amtrak P30CH locomotives 703, 702, andd 705 arrive in New Orleans for after being displaced from Auto-Train service.
When Amtrak inaugurated its AUTO TRAIN on 30 October 1983 it assigned P30’s to the train, and these remained the regular power until these were replaced by F40-GP40-F40 sets in mid-1991. After that, all of the AUTO TRAIN GE’s were moved to New Orleans, via various means, to join the rest of the fleet. Of the three units here, the 702 and 703 were retired on 16 August 1991; but the 705 was the last P30 in active service, arriving in New Orleans for the last time on the SUNSET on 15 December 1991. The last 12 P30’s at NOUPT were delivered to the IC in February 1992.

[@paulw.woodring7304]

None were preserved for display. I realize they were not very successful, but they were Amtrak's first bought-new locomotives equipped with head-end power (HEP), and proved the concept that Amtrak has kept using for providing hotel power to their trains ever since.

[@electric7487]

RIP P30CH. You will be missed.

[@mikewalsdorf8744]

Great historical shot of these units!

[@yrunaked4]

I used to get so excited when I would see one on the city of New Orleans

[@shanecochran1969]

To bad All of these P-30CH's got scraped, and none was preserved for a museum....

[@dthawk]

Good one Chris!