Speaking of older container schemes...

[lock4244]

Looks like another batch of the Deluxe Innovations 40' sheet & post cans were announced:

The Showa, YM Line, and XTRA are of definite interest.

http://www.deluxeinnovations.com/newannouncements.html

[jagged ben]

Very, very, very, very good.    The first three and probably one of the others will get my dime.

[Mark5]

Oh crap. 1970s finally getting some love! 

I'm guessing that the sea-land and seatrain schemes are good for 1975.

Any guesstimates on the YM, Showa, and other schemes?

[Pathtimber]

Ooh, this ones gonna make a dent in my empty container flat fleet!

Glad to see the five pack option is available.

Would love to know the dates?

[jagged ben]

Again, based on my photo collection ... They could be earlier but are definitely appropriate for these dates.  Date supplanted means new containers got a different scheme, but the older ones would have stuck around for a while, or a long time.

Sealand:  possibly 1974, definitely 1977.  Supplanted 1981, but this scheme remained common up into the 90s!  Most boxes were ribbed side though, not smooth like these.
Showa 1976.  (Supplanted 1979?   Not sure if they were consistent with schemes between 20' and 40' boxes.)
Seatrain 1973   Good through the 70s.

Xtra, USL, YML
These are harder.  Note that the first two are very hard to pick out in far away or angled shots, so I may have them in my pictures but can tell worth diddly. 

The Xtra scheme probably existed well before 1986, I have a picture from then of a container that has this scheme faded and painted over with United States Lines markings (not the same USL scheme DI has announced), and the USL scheme is also faded by then.   Also, I believe Xtra wasn't in containers very much or very long; lots of trailers always, none I've seen in this scheme though.  This may have been their 'container' scheme and they may have been rare.

USL:  I have a picture of a slightly different scheme from 1978.   It has the same lettering, but all in a straight line with a logo overhead.  The DI scheme could have been contemporaneous on some containers, for all I know.

YML:  No pictures of this scheme in my collection.  These might have been pretty rare on trains.   Corrugated containers were orange with small yellow lettering, not the same.

[lock4244]

The YM Line is perfect for my era, though I'd assume these were long in the tooth by the date of this shot (1988):

[randgust]

Wow, really weak spot for those Seatrain containers.    The original 'mini bridge' container train from Long Beach to North Bergen was in 1972, and I'm pretty sure this is the same train on the annual report behind the brand-new U36C's.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cJHS72o-QJo/TeCP-KG9ewI/AAAAAAAADHg/42YutY4GKok/s1600/Santa+Fe+GE+U36c%2527s+Cajon+Pass+from+North+Bergen+NJ+100+hours+1972.jpg

[Mark5]

Thanks Ben and Randy!

[jagged ben]

Nice pics!  Randy that's a great one.  Most Seatrain pics I've seen are on SP, didn't realized Santa Fe also had a deal.

Matt's Place is a great resource but one drawback is that only a smattering of the photos are dated.

[Pathtimber]

Ben thanks for all the info, ordering a couple five packs soon.

[randgust]

Ah, here's what I was looking for - the cover of the Santa Fe 1972 annual report, those Sea Train containers are right on there.

http://productimages.goantiques.com/115054/2971081_fullsize.jpg

As the U36C's are my 'symbol' locomotive for the layout, and 1972 is the year, I have this cover opened up and framed in my layout room.  If ever there was an annual report cover that clearly stated corporate progress and goals, this was it.   It was very clear to ATSF where the future was, and looking back, they got it right.

Now, does anybody know who had those reefer orange containers?  I can't identify them on the report cover either, too far away.

Oh, and for those diesel nitpickers:  The 8700's were the first units delivered in the yellowbonnet (started June '72), and the first half-dozen or so were delivered in pinstripe.  Then 8706 (on the cover) was the first GE yellowbonnet, and it had a yellow sill front, and they only did that on a couple, the later units had a blue front like on the previous posting.  And the original yellowbonnet scheme had black trucks, not silver - that would be about two years out.   Lehigh Valley wasn't the only one that could get a little weird on an engine-to-engine paint basis at times.

[garethashenden]

Ah, here's what I was looking for - the cover of the Santa Fe 1972 annual report, those Sea Train containers are right on there.

http://productimages.goantiques.com/115054/2971081_fullsize.jpg

As the U36C's are my 'symbol' locomotive for the layout, and 1972 is the year, I have this cover opened up and framed in my layout room.  If ever there was an annual report cover that clearly stated corporate progress and goals, this was it.   It was very clear to ATSF where the future was, and looking back, they got it right.

Now, does anybody know who had those reefer orange containers?  I can't identify them on the report cover either, too far away.

Oh, and for those diesel nitpickers:  The 8700's were the first units delivered in the yellowbonnet (started June '72), and the first half-dozen or so were delivered in pinstripe.  Then 8706 (on the cover) was the first GE yellowbonnet, and it had a yellow sill front, and they only did that on a couple, the later units had a blue front like on the previous posting.  And the original yellowbonnet scheme had black trucks, not silver - that would be about two years out.   Lehigh Valley wasn't the only one that could get a little weird on an engine-to-engine paint basis at times.

I like the yellow pilot/blue snow plow look. Hard to keep clean though I bet!

[sirenwerks]

Again, based on my photo collection ... They could be earlier but are definitely appropriate for these dates.  Date supplanted means new containers got a different scheme, but the older ones would have stuck around for a while, or a long time.

Sealand:  possibly 1974, definitely 1977.  Supplanted 1981, but this scheme remained common up into the 90s!  Most boxes were ribbed side though, not smooth like these.
Showa 1976.  (Supplanted 1979?   Not sure if they were consistent with schemes between 20' and 40' boxes.)
Seatrain 1973   Good through the 70s.

Xtra, USL, YML
These are harder.  Note that the first two are very hard to pick out in far away or angled shots, so I may have them in my pictures but can tell worth diddly. 

The Xtra scheme probably existed well before 1986, I have a picture from then of a container that has this scheme faded and painted over with United States Lines markings (not the same USL scheme DI has announced), and the USL scheme is also faded by then.   Also, I believe Xtra wasn't in containers very much or very long; lots of trailers always, none I've seen in this scheme though.  This may have been their 'container' scheme and they may have been rare.

USL:  I have a picture of a slightly different scheme from 1978.   It has the same lettering, but all in a straight line with a logo overhead.  The DI scheme could have been contemporaneous on some containers, for all I know.

YML:  No pictures of this scheme in my collection.  These might have been pretty rare on trains.   Corrugated containers were orange with small yellow lettering, not the same.

So what are the confirmed earliest dates for these cars, not based on someone's photo collection?  Those of use who model the 1960s want to know about their era too.  Life didn't start in the 70s.