The Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway was owned jointly by the Northern Pacific and the Great Northern and was never permitted to build steam locomotives of its own design. Instead, it received most of its motive power used, as hand-me-downs, from its parents. On rare occasions, locomotives arrived new from add-ons to NP or GN orders. This happened in 1938 when three NP class A-3 Northerns were deliverd from the Baldwin Locomotive Works. On the SP&S these three were given Class E-1 designation and road numbers 700 through 702. The only difference was that on the SP&S they were oil burners.

Number 700 survives today, in operating condition, and is located at SP Brooklyn roundhouse, Portland, OR.