What prototype are the Walthers 48’ Rib side containers based upon

[wazzou]

Remember all the complaining when the Trainworx trucks showed up on a card instead of a jewel box?
I'd rather have a reusable box to place my toys back in when I'm not running them.

The short run trucks, like Smokey and the Bandit, Duel, BJ and the Bear and Movin' On all came nested in jewel cases.
I can understand the rest of them not being shipped that way.  From a retailers, point of view, it's easier to have them on pegboard hooks than it is on shelves.

[peteski]

I just had to up-vote Joe for the creative use for the Jewel box! 
And yes, even if not used for the original purpose, those clear boxes work great as containers for storing all sorts of small parts.

[wazzou]

I can't count how many time I've used jewel boxes or the lids to make silicone molds.

[jagged ben]

Now that I think about it, I can use the jewel cases for cars I have that don't have boxes.    Containers will go into my container storage. 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I just had to up-vote Joe for the creative use for the Jewel box! 
And yes, even if not used for the original purpose, those clear boxes work great as containers for storing all sorts of small parts.

They also frequently end up being water dishes for decal work on my workbench too...

[peteski]

They also frequently end up being water dishes for decal work on my workbench too...

Yeah, the older ones. The current MTL boxes have holes molded in. 

[atsf3751]

I used to keep the jewel boxes until one day I went out to my garage and realized I had four large trash bags full of hundreds of jewel boxes. Finding the right jewel box for a car would take hours. The only boxes I keep now are for locomotives, passenger cars and train sets (like Kato). The rest go into my recycle can.

My trains are stored by era in train cases, 1925-1940, 40-55, 55-70, etc. When I want to run trains at my club, I take the appropriate case for the era I want to run. For cars that are retired I store them in a large map case.

The only cars still in jewel boxes are cars that I deem as possible collector items and cars I have bought but not yet set up to use. The cars that I use have zero collector value because I weather them.

[jagged ben]

Here are pics of the Walthers vs. the MT.  The Walthers is the APL, the MT is the EMP.

Overall side dimensions are very similar.
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Closeup to see rivet detail on MT.
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Top view (Walthers on top in photo).  The plates between the corner castings are different widths. 
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Doors.  The MT hinge detail is definitely finer and more realistic.
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Other end
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[jagged ben]

MT just announced a CSX scheme, by the way. 

[MetroRedLine]

Here are pics of the Walthers vs. the MT.  The Walthers is the APL, the MT is the EMP.

Doors.  The MT hinge detail is definitely finer and more realistic.
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Other end
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Obviously the MTL version is going to be better. The Walthers container was made over 20 years ago, and they're STILL churning out the same model with the same paint schemes as if they think N scalers are too dumb to know the difference.

[cfritschle]

It looks like Jagged Ben and I had the same thoughts today.  I also took some comparison photos of the Walters and MTL 48-foot exterior post containers.







The Walthers container in my photo was an undec I painted white several years ago with the intention of adding EMP decals.  Now I am not sure it would be worth the effort.

Carter

[James Costello]

MT just announced a CSX scheme, by the way.

If only they'd looked at this thread first....