Amtrak's first passenger GE - the P30CH

[Lyon_Wonder]

For those unfamiliar, Amtrak’s first passenger GE was the P30CH, which railfans nicknamed the “POOCH”. 

http://www.locophotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=104484

Like EMD’s SDP40F, the P30CH was a 6 axle C-C built in the mid-1970s, at the time the last U-boats were built and GE was ready to introduce the Dash7-series.  IIRC, some of these POOCHes lasted into the early 1990s, by which time the 4-axle B32-8WH and later the P40/42s hit the rails.

[oltmannd]

If you meant first GE diesel, you'd be correct, but the first GEs purchase by Amtrak were the E60s. They beat the P30s by about a year (and they lasted a bit longer, too....)

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

The P30's seemed to spend much of their time assigned to the Sunset Limited and Auto Train.  They also had a short assignment to the Chicago-Valparaiso suburban locals before the ex-C&NW intercity bi-levels were modified for push-pull operation.

[espeefoamer]

The P30s were the first Amtrak units with HEP.They were delivered before the Superliners,so Amtrak leased the P30s to SP for use in commute service between San Francisco and San Jose. Acceleration was slow,and they could not keep up with the schedules. The SP crews hated them. The first time I rode one in commute service,I asked the engineer at the end of the run what he thought of the P30s. His reply was unprintable.

[trainfan1221]

I got to ride behind them on the Sunset, and am glad I did since these seemingly long forgotten engines are now, well, long gone.  Since I am from the former Erie Lackawanna commuter area, I can honestly say their similarities to the U34CH diesels, cowl body notwithstanding, made me appreciate them even more.