Trains News Wire EXCLUSIVE: Georgia Central to retire U23B fleet NEWSWIRE

LYONS, Ga. – Georgia Central will begin phasing out its fleet of General Electric U23Bs this spring, a source close to the railroad tells Trains News Wire. The 171-mile Genesee & Wyoming-owned railroad, operated by its Rail Link subsidiary, has relied on a fleet of former CSX and Norfolk Southern locomotives for almost 20 years. Georgia Central’s U23B fleet is currently the largest in North America at 13 units and represents about half of the remaining U23Bs left in service.

Georgia Central’s roster include a single locomotive from CSX, No. 1004 that was built in 1973 for Louisville & Nashville. Locomotive No. 1004 is the only low nose U23B on the roster. The remaining 12 U23Bs are former Norfolk Southern units, originally constructed for Southern Railway between 1973 and 1977. All retain their high-short hood and control stands setup for long hood forward operation. Road numbers of the remaining former Norfolk Southern locomotives are 3910, 3911, 3912, 3917, 3928, 3938, 3946, 3950, 3956, 3959, 3965, and 3968.

The railroad plans to replace the aging GEs with first generation, four-axle EMD locomotives. The first G&W-painted locomotive lettered for Georgia Central is GP10 No. 1706, mated with MT4 slug No. 1006. The pair have been assigned to Georgia Central for some time now, wearing G&W orange paint and lettered for Rail Link.
In March, shop forces at Lyons lettered the pair for Georgia Central.