All South African electric locomotives up to and including the Class 7E's were bidirectional. That came to an end with the arrival of the Class 7E1's, with a cab at one end only.

The Class 7E1's were designed by Hitachi and built by Dorbyl. The lead unit of this threesome, ready to set off to Mpumalanga with empty coal wagons, is still in its original SAR livery.

Still sporting its original SAR paint. Unlike most South African electric locomotives, the Class 7E1 has a cab at one end only. Also, the left and right sides are different in appearance.