By the late 1930s, streamlined passenger trains were at the forefront as the desired method of luxury travel. These streamlined luxury trains required equally stylish power to pull them - enter the EMD E6. With its long slanting nose and smooth sides, the E6 began a new era on America's long distance passenger trains. The E6 was EMD's first true standardized production passenger locomotive, as earlier locomotives were essentially custom built for each railroad, and in many cases, each train.
 
Housing a pair of 12-cylinder 567 prime movers under the hood, EMD E6s mustered 2,000 horsepower per locomotive. Production lasted from November 1939 through September 1942 when they were succeeded by the bulldog-nosed E7. E6 diesels were offered as A units or as cabless B boosters. Depending on the train's route and power needs, they operated singly, in A-A or A-B sets, or in A-B-A or A-B-B sets. Often, they were mixed with their look-alike predecessor E3, E4 or E5 units. In later years they ran in consists with later E7, E8 and E9 units. Many of these elegant speedsters logged over a million miles in their long lasting distinguished careers.