# Gn15 Critter No 2 Mantua into Mini-Porter



## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Started with one of these minus the tender:










Some mindless violence with a razorsaw and some styrene and a good rifle thru the parts boxes




































Add one MDC Big Hustler cab:




























Starting to get somewhere


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## digger (Jan 2, 2008)

I hate it when people refer to my models with the "C-word", but this one IS cute!!


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## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

That looks good! I have an MDC Big Hustler right in front of me, so I can imagine how big your engine is. Just a baby in G! Like it's got little feet and a big head.  

Andrew


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## Old Bandit (Mar 5, 2013)

No 1 is very cute but No 2 is very cute too !


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Ran into a small issue, the cab makes this thing tail heavy as ****, any power applied now pops a wheelie and derails ..oops! 



Guess I will be filling the smokebox with birdshot and epoxy, if worse comes to worse I can also fill the tank with birdshot as well. 



But it looks good painted!


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## DKRickman (Mar 25, 2008)

Or make it an 0-4-2.. there were a number of those out there


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## Don Gage (Jan 4, 2008)

Hi Vic, 

Great looking 0-4-0. Why not build a new, hollow pilot beam and fill it with shot? 

Don


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Good news is filling the smokebox with lead birdshot and epoxy seams to have fixed the wheelie problem, but I still suspect I need to add more weight into the tank to help it pull anything and if I want to add an engineer figure. 

Don I might try that suggestion. I was going to ad a wider pilot beam anyways, replacing the pilot beam with one filled with shot might help, otherwise its the tank that will get birdshot added. 

Next major issue is adding couplers, the front not so worried about but the rear is definitively going to have to be swing mounted.


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## Don Gage (Jan 4, 2008)

Why not a link and pin draw head with a long(er) rooster bar? 

Don


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Very cool Vic! 

By the way, would you email me so I can have your private email? I don't do PM's 

Greg


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Greg check your inbox I sent a message a couple days ago

Added a headlight and the couplers are on, pulls all 3 ore tippers OK


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Finally some more pics:

Added couplers, headlight (working!)









and some scale shock:


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