We are fortunate to have 1:64 S scale helium cars available to us today. As for the 1:1 Southern Pacific move, I cannot begin to guess the purpose.

Notice the string of eight behind the three SP locomotives. The attached photo, which showed up a day or two ago ago on the Espee mailing list, is the Leesdale Local passing through Chatsworth, California on 12/05/85. Chatsworth is a Los Angeles neighborhood, and Leesdale is about 39 miles west, on the fringe of Oxnard.