| the Southern Pacific Railroad was an official sponsor of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California. As such, they promoted the Games with a special paint scheme applied to SD40R 7347 (the former SD40 8479) and a fleet of 45 "Golden Pig" highway trailers. This colorful engine was assigned as a helper, along with red and orange SD40R 7342 (ex-SD40 8470), in southern California when former Southern Pacific "Daylight" 4-8-4 4449 was heading west on its way back from New Orleans, Louisiana, where the 1984 Worlds Fair was taking place. The two engines are seen in Loma Linda after cutting off the "Worlds Fair Daylight" had completed its crossing of nearby Beaumont Hill on June 17th, 1984. Note the gold-painted P-3 air horn and the "1932" and 1984" numberboards, which commemorated not only the 1984 Olympics, but also the Games other occurrence in Los Angeles in 1932. |