Sawyer Railway implimented the Class E1 due to the struggle their steam engines faced with the steeper parts of the line. While steam still ran on those parts, it was primarily dominated by electric engines fitted with pantographs. The class E1's could also run on reserve batteries in the event the overhead lines were ever down. In total, 35 members of the class were built. They were in service for upwards of nearly 40 years before retirement started; 12 still exist today and can be seen on heritage railways, museums, and periodically the main line.
