Powered by a V12 FDL prime mover, the 2250 h.p. U23B was GE’s intermediate-sized four-axle road-switcher of the late 1960s through the mid 1970s. The U23B’s direct competitor during this period was the very successful EMD GP38. In 10 years of production, from 1968 through 1977, a total of 481 units were produced, making this the second best seller of GE’s “Universal Series” locomotives. The first units were delivered to the Delaware & Hudson in August and September 1968. CSX predecessors Chesapeake & Ohio and Louisville & Nashville had a combined fleet of 120 units, giving CSX one of the larger active fleets in later years. Penn Central, Santa Fe and Missouri Pacific also purchased sizeable fleets of U23Bs.
Features:
- Operational low nose headlight (used where appropriate)
- Both DCC ready and ESU DCC Sound equipped versions
- Separate coupler cut lever
- Cab with 4 or 2 side windows (as appropriate per road name)
- Directional lighting
- Golden white LEDs
- Painted safety rails
- Blackened metal wheels
- Dual flywheel equipped 5-pole skewed armature motor with a low friction mechanism
- Factory-installed AccuMate® magnetic knuckle couplers!
DCC Operation Features GOLD LOCOMOTIVES ONLY)
- Supports all DCC-programming modes
- DCC includes RailCom and RailComPlus, with 14, 28 or 128 speed steps and with 2-digit and 4-digit addressing.
- Flexible mapping of function keys F0 to F28.
- A total of 6 DCC function outputs are available, and all can be function mapped (disable, brightness, light effects) individually
- Follows all NMRA DCC standards and recommended practices.
ESU LokSound Features (GOLD LOCOMOTIVES ONLY):
- 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 up to 16 user-selectable horns, 2 user-selectable bells, and 2 user-selectable synchronized brake squeals.
- Manual and Automatic Notching modes with the ability to change modes ”on the fly” are provided for true realism.
- Equipped with ESU's Exclusive "Full Throttle" features for ultimate realism in prototype running.
