Two more container questions

[Missaberoad]

Did they ever release the Sealand containers? Or was that project canceled? I couldn't find any pics of them...

[nkalanaga]

I've also never seen a picture, but asked about them online, and at least one response was that they were basically made-to-order, but you had to have contacted them to order.  They never formally put them out for reservations.  If that is true, then yes, they were made, probably very few of them.

If someone drew the plans, 3-D printing would be simple, and it wouldn't matter how many people wanted them.  Once the plans are done, the unit production costs are the same, for one or a hundred.

[Mark5]

I have some of the 35' containers. Will post pix over the holidays (I painted them long ago, but have not decaled them. They are resin cast - probably the last resin models I'll ever buy)

What we really need in N is 20' smoothies.

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[nkalanaga]

The old Model Power containers were close, but with "weld lines" rather than rivets.  They're too small to be ribs, so I assume they're welds. 

I don't think I've ever seen container mounts that fit in the stake pockets before.  An interesting idea!  I wonder if there was a box, or bracket, or somewhere, to hold them, if the car was to be used for something else?  Or was it just a container flat?

[Mark5]

I forgot about those ... with some paint they don't look bad.

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I have older Roco 20 footers, they probably are not as nice as the MP 

[nkalanaga]

Actually, they look like the same tooling.  MP probably got theirs from Roco.

The D&RGW had containers?  I have one of the old Minitrix 40 ft ribbed containers letter for Rio Grande, and have always thought it was something they made up.

[Mark5]

Actually, they look like the same tooling.  MP probably got theirs from Roco.

Nope. The Roco tooling is markedly different. I'll post a pic, maybe over the holidays.

[nkalanaga]

OK, I misunderstood.  I thought that WAS a Roco container.  No wonder it looks just like my MP!

And, yes, the MP boxes look very nice, with good paint and lettering.  The casting itself is fine, and fits the MT COFC flats perfectly.

[JaxTerminal]

" Maybe JTC will come out with some early 20 footers to match their new 40 ft containers."

We have a "20' container series" researched, and are awaiting a determination on the sales of our 40' early era containers to help determine if there is enough of a demand for early 20 footers. The Series would include smooth-sides, reefers, 'Rib' square corrugation styles and panel side versions. + variations of those listed.

May have an update in Q3.    New style, Early 40' rib side containers are due Q2.

JTC-Steve

[nkalanaga]

Thank you!  I'll be looking for the ribbed 40' ones.

[samusi01]

Regarding Sea-Land 35': doing the design shouldn't be all that hard.

To learn a bit about 3d design, I took a stab at it a while back, basing purely on images on the internet. The end result was three basic varieties: reefer, ex post, and sheet/post. I intended was to mount them on DI or N Scale kits chassis and, for the reefer, add an etched brass ladder and grill. Life got in the way before I got around to doing artwork or the chassis mods, so they've sat like this for years and probably will continue to do so:

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Sea-Land had half-height flat racks and non-standard 12-15' tall auto-carrying containers as well in the late 60s; I don't know if the latter were 35' or longer. They also had open-top containers.

Sam

[nkalanaga]

Do you have plans to sell them?  SeaLand was a major player in Puget Sound area in the late 60s and 70s, so their containers were common on the GN/BN, usually on a chassis, but not always.

[samusi01]

Hadn't particularly thought about it, to be candid. I don't know how accurate they are; they were good enough for me at the time and given my skills and available data (i.e., a collection of wild guesstimates and assumptions based on standard ISO dimensions and a 35' overall length).

If you'd like, I can probably figure something out for you. Do you have 3d printing capability?

Sam

[nkalanaga]

No, I don't.  And, for a few containers, it would be very expensive to buy a printer.  Thank you, anyway. 

As for accuracy, I'm sure they're as good as most N scale models.  As long as the basic dimensions are known, everything else on an ISO container can be scaled from pictures, so yours are probably quite close.

[samusi01]

Added them to Shapeways this morning, and threw in a bonus 24' based on images of Matson containers. If you want multiples, or know of a better way to organize the parts for printing, let me know and I'll work on it. Same goes for orientation. When I printed them about four years ago, they came out well enough but there were the usual tiny horizontal lines... I can generate close-ups if you'd like. I was using the ultra-detail or whatever they called it at the time. If you have access to a local maker space (we have one here in Tulsa, nominal $15/mo. and gives access to all sorts of handy devices) I can send over the STL files. It's how I've been printing items for a couple of years now.

https://www.shapeways.com/shops/samusi01

Sam

(edited to add about print orientation)