E1 Diesel Locomotive

Prototype Information

The EMD E1 revolutionized American railroading in 1937. Electro-Motive Corporation built these streamlined locomotives specifically for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. They pulled the famous Super Chief transcontinental trains with style. The E1 featured an elegant, slanted bulldog nose and shimmering stainless steel panels. Inside, two 900-horsepower Winton 201-A engines provided a total of 1,800 horsepower.

The E1’s success marked the decline of steam power for high-speed travel. Its reliability and low maintenance costs proved that diesel-electric power was the future. EMD eventually evolved this design into the dominant E-series line. Although the company only produced 11 units, they changed the industry forever. By the 1950s, Santa Fe returned most E1s to be rebuilt as modern E8 units. Consequently, no original E1 survives in its 1937 form today.