More new container offerings

[jagged ben]

So I got my shipment from Deutschland, and I wish I could jump for joy, but it's a mixed bag.  Here's a rundown.

The good:
-Rocky Rail got the MSC color right!
-The Rocky rail containers are the perfect height.
-The Arnold containers are the perfect width.
-The Rocky rail were cheap, and the Arnold containers were really cheap.

The bad:
-The Arnold containers are too short.  They are 8' tall in scale instead of 8'-6".
-The roof on the Arnold container doesn't look right, it looks like an old sheet post container.  Maybe there's a modern prototype like this but I've not noticed it.  Also the picture on the DM toys website sure as heck showed logo-panel containers but that is not what I got in the package.  Which is kinda okay with me, since I model both eras, but if you care about this be warned.
The really bad:
-The Rocky rail containers are too wide.     They scale to about 100", or almost as wide as a domestic container.  They will not fit DI Twinstacks, Kato Maxi-I, or Interail/Deluxe Thrall cars.   

The pretty:
- The Rocky Rail containers.  They just look real good, especially with the door hardware highlighted with printing.  It's enough to partly overcome the width disaster. 

The Bottom line:  If I use the Arnold containers in bottom position in stack cars, I can solve both the height problem with hidden shims and the roof problem with a container on top.  So those were still a good buy.   The Rocky Rail containers can still be used in stack trains, in top position or in Maxi-IVs or III's or Husky-stacks.  (Come to think of it, if I can get that N-scale kits rebuilt Maxi-III done, that would be the best.)  But I may very well end up selling the schemes that Kato also makes, and just keep the MSC.   

[Denver Road Doug]

Got mine a few days ago.   Pretty much similar assessment.   Best MSC color we've got so far....I'd say a smidge too mustard and a tad dark, but very close.   Actually probably looks like they did new before fading maybe.  Anyway, they'll work and like others I wish I could get a few more without dealing with the culls.

I had to laugh at the Arnold containers, they look REALLY ODD.  But like Jagged Ben I figured I would make them work.   I like how the different height containers look in stack trains, so an exaggeration of this would probably be a good effect.  Good idea to shim them a bit from the bottom.   Hard to get upset about them as cheap as they are....still better than the majority of hideous containers that mfg's have rolled out to us.  I really don't know why it's so hard for manufacturers to give us good container models...I'm not gonna throw down that my 10 year old could do better but....ahem.....

It's ok cuz @James Costello probably has my JB Hunt boxes rendering as we speak.   Right mate?   

[GaryHinshaw]

Sigh.

[Scottl]

I received my Rocky Rail and Arnold containers (thanks @Denver Road Doug).  I agree the Arnold is pretty much off- far too short and the roof is weird.  The Evergreen paint is a strange tone too.  It will become a yard storage shed or something- looks ridiculous on a train.

However, the Rocky Rail are pretty good, perhaps one of the best I have in my collection for a few reasons IMHO.   I have Cosco and Evergreen 40' versions and the dimensions are pretty good.  They fit into Walthers, DI (new Maxi's) and Kato wells, height is good, the width is a hair wider than DI and Kato, but the kicker for me is the detailed finishing.  The doors look excellent, with painted hardware and black seals, and the lettering on the sides are similarly detailed.  Nothing on the market looks that good in my mind and it is a lot of work to add these details with decals. 

I'll be stripping my DI Cosco and Evergreen now and refinishing in something I need- the Rocky Rails are a superior looking product. 

Neither has magnets, but I'll take them apart and figure that out.  The paper strip with magnets trick works well.

[jagged ben]

My Rocky Rail do seem to have some magnets.  Maybe they just magnetized the screws that hold them together.  But the strength is too weak, in my opinion, for stacking them in a moving train.
I haven't taken them apart yet.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I see many of you are having the same frustrations as me. There are 20x9x8 boxes, so the Arnold 20 footers are correct. I can't find and reference to 40x8x8, but Wiking has the same size container. Maybe this was an early size? If so, that could justify the Arnold boxes.

The Rocky Rail boxes just infuriate me. So close to being perfect and they go and make them 4" too wide. Ugh...

I also got samples of Fleischmann boxes. They are too short (19' and 38' long), have strange posts on the top for stacking and just lack a good look to them.

Up next are Minitrix containers which should arrive at my house in the next day or so.

So far, I would rate the companies:
Deluxe B+ great tooling, paint could be better.
Rolland A great tooling, great paint and magnets!
Kato A great tooling, great paint, magnets.
HobbyTrain A very nice tooling, excellent paint.
Arnold C+ this could have been the best containers of they didn't punt on the box height.
Walthers B tooling isn't bad, but Jesus... 25 years and no new paint schemes.
Rocky Rail C+ the paint is nothing short of spectacular but dat a$$.

[Scottl]

I'm pretty surprised by the reaction to Rocky Rails.  I based my impression of the width on a direct comparison with Kato, DI, Walthers and Port of Hollywood examples and it is a pretty small difference you are quoting (4" is a scale 0.635 mm, to be exact).  The finishing leaves the others behind in my experience.  You need to spend a lot of time with decals to get that kind of detail.  It is so good, I'm going to retire my DI Evergreen and Cosco and repaint in something else.

DI are nice, but basically not available.
Kato are great, but come in 6 or 10 packs with the cars in limited designs
Walthers detailing, especially the doors is pretty flat.  Production issues....
Arnold- finishing on mine is sparse, height is crazy.  Shimming won't hide the squashed lettering on the side.
Hobby Train ?  Never heard of them, need to look.

[GaryHinshaw]

I'm pretty surprised by the reaction to Rocky Rails.  I based my impression of the width on a direct comparison with Kato, DI, Walthers and Port of Hollywood examples and it is a pretty small difference you are quoting (4" is a scale 0.635 mm, to be exact). 

Do the Rocky Rail containers fit in a Kato Maxi-I well?  A DI Twin Stack well?

[Scottl]

They fit in Kato Maxi IV and DI Maxi-IV, as well as the Walthers Thrall.  It is very snug in the Kato Maxi-I, so much so I would not want to put it in.  I don't own any Twin Stacks to try. 

For me, positioning containers to reflect these issues is not a big deal.  The Rocky containers look a lot better to me and are worth any minor issues.

[jagged ben]

Do the Rocky Rail containers fit in a Kato Maxi-I well?  A DI Twin Stack well?

No.  (Nor Interail/Deluxe Thrall Lopacs.)

They'll fit 48' and 53' wells that are made tolerably to scale because prototype 48' and 53' containers are 102" wide.  Same goes for cars that were rebuilt from 48' to 40', such as the N scale kits rebuilt Maxi-III.  I'm not aware of any such well-car models available that are made too narrow in this respect.  So it's just the original 40' prototypes mentioned above that are a problem.

FWIW, Con-Cor's 40' containers have always had the same problem as well.

[jagged ben]

[The Rocky Rail containers are] very snug in the Kato Maxi-I, so much so I would not want to put it in. 

Yeah, I would say you are distorting the Kato cars shape and threatening to break them if you try.  I tried and simply said "no, that's not going to go in."   The Maxi-I is made to scale and the Rocky Rail is not. 

[James Costello]

You need to spend a lot of time with decals to get that kind of detail.

FWIW @Scottl I can get a good result on my end hardware without decals - just with silver and black markers/sharpies/paint pens and a matter of minutes.

I'm sure a modeller of your immense talents can as well.

[basementcalling]

Photos please. Photo needed.

[Scottl]

I drink too much coffee for that  .  @GaryHinshaw convinced me that the decals are worth the effort, but I won't say I like doing it.  This is TRW, we are allowed to complain if we have to finish our models 

[jagged ben]

... This is TRW, we are allowed to complain if we have to finish our models 

I thought it was the other way around.