SWeep 7104 Switching Gondolas

Two or three weeks ago, I was emailing with Brian, telling him that I couldn't decide whether or not to "pre-order" one of the new Rapido SWeep engines or not.

They look really, really nice of course, but the price has got me asking if I really want to spend that much.  Maybe I should or could sell a few things to offset the cost.  But also the other thing that bothers me is, do I really need another engine ?  I can't decide.

I already have the SWeep that I kitbashed about 20 years ago.  It's nice, built from an Athearn switcher and the long hood from an Athearn GP 9.  It runs quite well, plus I had the lighting upgraded just a few years ago.

George over at the White River Division, has posted twice this week about the SWeeps as well, with lots of great prototype photos from both Peter Mumby and Keith MacCauley.  Here's links to George's posts:

https://whiteriverdivision.blogspot.com/2026/10/cn-sweeps.html

https://whiteriverdivision.blogspot.com/2026/10/throwback-thursday-canadian-national.html

Around the same time as I was emailing with Brian (he thinks that I should get one of the Rapido ones by the way) I brought out that SWeep of mine, CN 7104, and put it to work doing a little switching on the layout here.

So here's a few looks at some of that:7104 with a pair of empty RailGons running behind the old Gulf station

Same spot, but the view from beneath the overpass

Outside the gate looking in at the Ferrous Metals & Trading recycling yard. I didn't realize that gate had become tilted like that.

Made it through the gate and into the scrap yard property.

This is the first time I've run this particular engine this far into this spur since I lengthened the scrap yard and it's spur last spring.  I wanted to see if the SWeep would have any problems in here (which it did not), so that's why I ran it in without shoving the two gondolas.

Almost the same picture, I know, but here we've hooked onto the loaded GT gondola.

A nice look over the fence at that GTW gondola passing by as 7104 is pulling it out of the scrap yard

7104 about 200 feet away as it shoves in that pair of RailGons for loading.

That's all for now.  Happy Hallowe'en out there.