After the apparent lack of success of Amtrak's new fleet of E60CP/E60MA electric locomotives, ordered as replacements for the ancient Pennsy GG-1s, they began to look at European designs that were already in use and proven to be reliable. One such was a French locomotive, the other was a Swedish Rc4 built by ASEA. One of each came to the United States and received an Amtrak Phase II paint job as well as an experimental designation. The Rc4 was the X995, while the French engine was X996. After much testing, the Swedish design was chosen, and modified to suit American needs. The result was the AEM-7, designed by ASEA, built by EMD, with 7000 horsepower packed into its small boxy shell. Incidentally, the carbodies for Amtrak's initial order of about 50 AEM-7s were built by passenger-car giant Budd. However, Budd subsequently went out of the railroad equipment business, so all later AEM-7 carbodies were built by another manufacturer.
The AEM-7s were an instant success for Amtrak service. They could operate reliably, hauling strings of Amfleet coaches up and down the Northeast Corridor at 125 mph. Now, having been in service for over twenty years, the entire fleet still runs daily, minus two that were wrecked early on.
