The EMC E1 was an early passenger-train diesel locomotive developing 1,800 hp, with an A1A-A1A wheel arrangement, and manufactured by Electro-Motive Corporation of La Grange, Illinois.

While mechanically they had much in common with previous, experimental EMC locomotives, GM understood the importance of looking new and exciting, not merely being technically innovative.

The "shovelnose" styling was modified on later models because the streamlined headlight was found less satisfactory than more common types with vertical lenses, and the elegantly sloped nose had a bad habit of deflecting vehicles up toward the cab in a grade crossing collision.

More enduring was the paint scheme—E1 number two and her booster #2A were the first locomotives to wear the world-famous Santa Fe "Warbonnet" red and silver colors.

After the publicity photos and promotional runs had been done with these handsome units, these services were taken over by a strange-looking pair, the mechanically similar, heavily rebuilt numbers 1 and 10 (the latter being the former 1A) of 1935.

Soon, additional equipment from the Budd Company allowed the Santa Fe to enlarge the wildly successful El Capitan beyond the original pair of five car consists.

The 4/4A set, which originally sat around "protecting" the Super Chief, was pressed into regular service, and units five and six were combined to form one lashup.