Although originally promoted by EMD as a freight-hauling unit, the F7 was also capable of passenger service, and used in hauling trains such as the Santa Fe Railway's high-speed flagship trains, the Super Chief, & El Capitan, and the Ontario Northland's Northlander.

The F7 was the fourth model in GM-EMD's successful line of F-unit locomotives, and by far the best-selling cab unit of all time.

Final assembly was at GM-EMD's La Grange, Illinois, plant or GMD's London, Ontario, facility.

As most of these engines were bought and operated before two-way radio became standard on most American railroads, this was a major point of contention.

In later years, with the advent of the "road switchers" such as the EMD GP7, F-units were primarily used in "through freight" and "unit train" service where there was little or no switching to be done.

Only one original F7 unit from the railway exists to this day, preserved in running condition at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento.

In addition to serving as an all-purpose control unit, it also had a head-end power generator that supplied electricity to the train.

[6] Locomotives intended for use in Canada were built by General Motors Diesel, EMD's Canadian subsidiary.