Hi all. I'm considering purchasing one of the Kato Gunderson stack car sets. As these come loaded with one container type I thought I'd also get a couple of their container 2-packs to liven things up a bit. However I've read comments online that suggest that the containers that come in the separate packs are a different size than the ones that come with the car sets. I'm hoping this doesn't mean that the sizes are simply incorrect. Perhaps the stack car containers are standard height (8'6") and the separately packaged ones are hi-cube (9'6")? Does anybody happen to have the containers in question and can confirm the sizes? Thanks, Rob.
I don't have them, but with the exception of (perhaps) some minor mold differences, the prototype containers are all built to ISO standards, no matter the length or height, to enable them to interconnect across the fleet. The caveat is that, usually, the shorter can goes on bottom to maximize structural strength, although I do believe that isn't really a hard rule any longer.
That is correct. They are also both a good match size wise for Deluxe and Walthers containers. Note that the hi-cube Kato containers are just a teeny bit too big to fit in some well cars, namely Deluxe Twinstacks or Interail/Deluxe LoPacs. Evidently Kato screwed up when they placed the pins on their 53' containers too far to the outside. They made the IBC connection housings (i.e. the corners) of the hi-cubes to match the 53' containers, which means they are slightly out of scale. Apparently realizing that mistake, they made the the standard containers to scale, but did so by leaving the IBC details open on the outside, so that the pins are visible. Oops. Setting aside these minor details, these containers are all basically good models, especially considering how unavailable any alternatives are.
Are you talking Maxi-I's with 40' containers or Maxi-IV's with 53' containers. I do not have any Maxi-I's or 40' containers so I can not speak to those, but I do have some Maxi-IV's and a set of separate 53' containers and the separate containers are identical in size to the ones included with the Maxi-IV's.
There's a way to solve that: [video=youtube;OIKDCnYxhz4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIKDCnYxhz4[/video]
Thanks for the answers, everyone. I've been trying to post a reply that includes some pictures from the Kato web site but as a new user here I'm not allowed to post anything with links. I'll try again tomorrow. Regards, Rob.
Here's the post I was trying to submit a couple of days ago. With luck this one will work. Eagle2: Understood. CSX Robert: I was actually thinking of the 40' containers but that is still good info to have, thanks. Jagged Ben: Thanks for the explanation. After reading it I took a closer look at some photographs. Here is a picture from Kato's site of one of their hi-cubes: http://www.katousa.com/N/Container/23-507B.jpg Now that you point it out, the housings do seem to protrude more than the prototype. And here is a picture, also from their site, of one of their MAXI-I sets: http://www.katousa.com/N/MAXI-I/106-6143.jpg The open corner casting and exposed pin can both be seen on the nearest corner of the leading stack. I'll admit that it's a little frustrating that a relatively simple shape is flawed, especially when, in my opinion, Kato does so many other things well. Regards, Rob.
The pins on the Kato containers almost (but not quite) line up with the ones on the Walthers containers. They look fine to me, and the containers mix well with Deluxe ones. I have Walthers, Kato, ConCor, and Deluxe containers in multiple different sizes, and don't have any issues with mixing them. Some don't quite fit in some well cars (including some Deluxe containers in Deluxe Twinstacks), but otherwise I don't see any reason to go for one make over the other. Adrian
