Container compatibility - my head is exploding!

[MK]

What other containers work with Kato containers other than their own?

I have never been a container guy but the new set from Kato of the MAXI-I double stack well cars with the pink ONE containers caught my eye.  This is the set in particular so we can be on the same page.

https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/kato-n-1066194-gunderson-maxi-i-double-stack-well-cars-burlington-northern-santa-fe-238615-5/

I know there are various container "standards" from different manufacturers and some can work across manufacturers and some can't.  Things like magnet position, pins, no-pins, no magnets, size, etc. all play a role and contribute to the (my) headache!

I did a search and there's just too much info out there to come to a conclusion of what containers, other than Kato, that can work with Kato.  I'm hoping those from JAX will work given their proliferate offerings.

And since we are on this subject, is there a chart or table out there that cross references the various manufacturers of containers and their inter-compatibility?  Or is the permutation and combination just too great to even produce such a chart?

[cfritschle]

Kato containers can be made to work with just about any container that is close to ISO standards.  I put this together several years ago when I was adding magnets to DeLuxe containers so those would work with the Kato containers. 



Fortunately, the Jacksonville Terminal Company containers standards are nearly identical.  JTC has a pdf that detail their standards, and while I have a copy of it, I do not have it bookmarked. 

[cfritschle]

Here is some additional info.  The photo shows the "jigs" I use for locating where the magnets should be glued to the floors of the 40-ft, 45-ft, 48-ft and 53-ft DeLuxe (now Fox Valley) and Walthers containers.



And here is the 20-ft container stacking info that is referenced in the post above. 



I was having some issues when a 40-ft or longer container was stacked on two 20-ft containers.  That is why I added a small magnet to the steel plate glued to the top of my DeLuxe 20-ft container.

Another popular method is to attach the magnets to strips of styrene and let the magnets in the bottom container "find" the magnets in the top container.  I am sure someone will respond with how that system works as well. 

[mu26aeh]

I'm pretty sure there is a post/thread about container compatibility, just have to find it or have the author read this topic. 

[MetroRedLine]

What other containers work with Kato containers other than their own?

I have never been a container guy but the new set from Kato of the MAXI-I double stack well cars with the pink ONE containers caught my eye.  This is the set in particular so we can be on the same page.

https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/kato-n-1066194-gunderson-maxi-i-double-stack-well-cars-burlington-northern-santa-fe-238615-5/

I know there are various container "standards" from different manufacturers and some can work across manufacturers and some can't.  Things like magnet position, pins, no-pins, no magnets, size, etc. all play a role and contribute to the (my) headache!

I did a search and there's just too much info out there to come to a conclusion of what containers, other than Kato, that can work with Kato.  I'm hoping those from JAX will work given their proliferate offerings.

And since we are on this subject, is there a chart or table out there that cross references the various manufacturers of containers and their inter-compatibility?  Or is the permutation and combination just too great to even produce such a chart?

I've researched this myself and have at least one of every plastic N scale container from each manufacturer. Different companies have different connectivity methods for their intermodal container models. Some are compatible with others.

In terms of Kato, ScaleTrains and Atlas 53' containers (but not the other Atlas container sizes) are pin-compatible with it. Athearn containers can stack with Kato containers, but only with the Kato on the top (the Athearn has a larger pin hole to accommodate different pin locations), not on the bottom.

I made a handy chart:

N SCALE INTERMODAL CONTAINER COMPATIBILITY CHART

[samusi01]

ScaleTrains.com 53 and Kato 53 seem to play well... JTC and Kato, so-so... Don't recall how Atlas works (only have three 53) and I've no athearn.

[MK]

Thanks for the info folks!

Based on MetroRedLine's info, it looks like Kato is by its lonesome, unless the container is the top most on top of an Athearn container.  I'm talking about the 40' since that's what the MAX-I well cars are.  Might have to rethink this set then....

[MK]

Note to self, found a similar TRW thread here:  https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=41057.0

(Couldn't tell you why I missed it.  Found it using Google and now TRW search.)

[MetroRedLine]

Thanks for the info folks!

Based on MetroRedLine's info, it looks like Kato is by its lonesome, unless the container is the top most on top of an Athearn container.  I'm talking about the 40' since that's what the MAX-I well cars are.  Might have to rethink this set then....

When I started N scale around 15 years ago, Deluxe Innovations were the cream of the crop as far as N scale intermodal. Most of my containers were DI. Mainly because they had a variety of schemes, especially in the 53' department. But the fact that I had to roll a tiny ball of putty every time I needed to stack them in a train was time consuming. Also, to see that putty in the middle of the containers was a detail turn-off.

Then Jacksonville Terminal Co. came onto the scene around 2016. Their containers had DETAILS (painted door handles). And sharp lettering. And current paint schemes. And magnets. And pins in the correct IBC 40' locations. I found out the pins were stackable with the old Walthers containers I had as well as the Atlas 40' containers that were just coming out. And JTC was an exclusively N scale company (they make HO now, but are still majority N), not to mention the fact that they come out with new container schemes every month. Best of all, when you stack them, they have the very prototypical gap between the containers!

So eventually I sold off all my DI containers (I kept one for sizing/data purposes), most of my Kato 40' containers and most of the Walthers (they were and still are all with the logo panels, and most of their schemes are all obsolete for today's intermodal - that's Walthers for ya!).

When it comes to 20' and 40', I have over 90% JTC containers. The ones that aren't JTCs are pin-compatible Atlas and Athearn 40'. JTC doesn't make 45' containers yet, but I plan to get them when they do.

When it comes to 53' containers, I've stuck with mostly Kato and ScaleTrains since they are compatible with each other. I've also gotten some Athearn 53' since those are compatible as well, though I have some complaints about their paint schemes (i.e. their Hub Group logo on the wrong side of the lettering on one side of the containers - what's up with that?). But I can't ignore the excellent JTCs, so about 20% of my 53' containers are Jacksonville Terminal, which I only use on the Atlas and JTC 53' single well cars (they do not fit in the DI Maxi IV 53' well cars and sit awkwardly in the Kato Maxi IV wells). Having a percentage of 53' JTCs allows me to stack them with the JTC/Atlas/Athearn 40' containers if need be. 

[MK]

Thanks MetroRedLine!  Your summary gives me a great perspective of the reality in the N scale container world.

Hopefully I won't get caught up in the collection aspect of containers.   

[MetroRedLine]

Thanks MetroRedLine!  Your summary gives me a great perspective of the reality in the N scale container world.

Hopefully I won't get caught up in the collection aspect of containers.   

Haha. I only collect what's appropriate for my railroad (Union Pacific). That keeps things in check. Recently I decided to have BNSF manifest and autorack trains run on trackage rights on my layout, but no intermodal trains except for baretables!

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Going way back.... there was an actual N scale standard for containers. I forget the official name. Manufacturers that adhered to the standard included Walthers, InterModel, and I believe Minitrix, though it could also have been Roco or Fleischmann. I have to check, but MTL 20 and 40 foot containers may have been compatible as well.

Thinks started going off the rails with the introduction of Con-Cor's expanded container line in the mid 90's. Deluxe didn't use any type of pin method at all. After that, everyone seemed to go their own direction, which is unfortunate.

Wiking containers never included the shoes, so they were never compatible. The old CC rubbed containers were made with clips to mount to chassis or flat cars and could not be stacked without modification. Arnold had a decent early 40' exterior post container but this needed modification like the CC units did. Off all these odd-balls, I believe only the Wiking containers could fit inside a double stack. The others simply were too wide.

Since I have nearly every model of container produced, I probably should dig them out and see what fits with what. Maybe I can pass that research onto Mark to post to the Spookshow site.

[nkalanaga]

The old CC ribbed containers were also too wide.

[basementcalling]

Tacky Glue [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[cfritschle]

Since I have nearly every model of container produced, I probably should dig them out and see what fits with what. Maybe I can pass that research onto Mark to post to the Spookshow site.

Daniel,

I worked with Peter Harris several years ago to compile the actual sizes of N scale containers.  A pdf of that information is posted in the N Scale Vehicle Association's Group.io files.  https://groups.io/g/NScaleVehicleAssociation/files/N%20Scale%20Containers