Athearn N Announcements June 28, 2019 (Big Boy)

[Mark5]

More Big Boys ...
http://www.athearn.com/newsletter/062819/08_N_4-8-8-4_BigBoy_062819.pdf

40' Containers! (sheet post I believe):
http://www.athearn.com/newsletter/062819/09_N_40ft_Container_062819.pdf

The 70s era containers will hit my wallet!

(OOPS)

Mark

[Ike the BN Freak]

(edit)

Link for the containers. http://www.athearn.com/newsletter/062819/09_N_40ft_Container_062819.pdf

[jagged ben]

Japan Line, Showa and SeaTrain!  Oh crap, my wallet is running and hiding!

[ljudice]

ACL is Atlantic Container Line, not Coast....

[nkalanaga]

So, my usual question, since I couldn't find dates for the containers:  Are these usable for mid-1974?  Most of the names I recognize, but what about the containers themselves?

[jagged ben]

So, my usual question, since I couldn't find dates for the containers:  Are these usable for mid-1974?  Most of the names I recognize, but what about the containers themselves?

Yes on Japan Line and SeaTrain, for sure.

Showa: probably.  I have a photo from 1976 in my collection.

YS Line : Maybe, but the first photo I have is 1981. 

Dart and ACL are going to be difficult to confirm because it's hard to pick out those schemes in distance photos.  You'd need to discover a close up.

SeaLand:  No, for that scheme, which dates to about 1981.  In 1974 SeaLand still had big red lettering and I was still utilizing its 35ft fleet as well, not sure if they'd even moved to 40s yet.

[lock4244]

OMG those containers 

[Mark5]

On Dart, here's a photo from May 1975 (on N&W!), but ... the scheme on the Athearn model may be later this one has a larger horizontal "Dart" as opposed to vertical on the Athearn model:

http://hankstruckforum.com/htforum/index.php?topic=39373.0

I'll look more later.

Mark

[sundowner]

Looks like Athearn realize not everyone wants sound and factory DCC with there locos. I already have 4014 with the oil tender from the last run so it a pass from me.

[Mark5]

For the ACL, there is a photo of a 40' ACL in the same scheme in May 1971 on page 90 of Volume 2 of the Piggyback Color Guide.

However, the road number is ACLU 204149 (Fruehauf France)

[jagged ben]

Looking back at the Schmollinger photo with the Japan Line boxes, it seems like the 12th one back (behind the yellow one) might be a Showa.

Here is a Dart that matches the Athearn scheme in 1984, seemingly with an OOCL patch, not looking particularly new but 10 years is a long life for a container.

[nkalanaga]

Everyone:  Thank you!  Looks like I will definitely reserve the Japan Line and SeaTrain.

I'm not going to worry about the container number, as they'll be simply flatcar loads on my layout.  As long as the scheme and container type are acceptable, I'll run them.

[nkalanaga]

Jagged Ben:  You may be right about Sea-Land not having 40 ft containers in 1974:

"In 1977, Sea-Land took notice of the ever growing North-South-North cargo volumes and decided to enter the Brazil/Argentina trade. Traditional US flag carriers in that market, Moore-McCormack, Delta-Lines and Prudential-Grace saw a threat to their market dominance with their conventional break-bulk vessels. Jointly, they induced South American governments to invoke legislation outlawing Sea-Land's non-ISO 35' containers as well as their proposed relay system via Puerto Rico. The container ruling was the shot heard around Sea-Land's corporate world, and a gradual phasing in of ISO standard 20' and 40' containers took place. Eventually Sea-Land gained access to the South American trades by signing a joint-service agreement with Brazilian flag Trans-Roll. This only lasted a short while."

However, the source is a little suspect.  They claim the content is from Wikipedia, but the Wikipedia entry they link to doesn't have that paragraph.  This is from
https://infogalactic.com/info/Sea-Land_Service "The Planetary Knowledge Core".