Micro-Trains - 468 00 090 - Container, 48 Foot - Hercules - 160114

Specific Item Information: This 48’ rib side container is white with aluminum ribs and blue lettering. Hercules Freight specializes in US to Canada less-than-truckload shipments from ports across the western United States. These 48’ containers can be found filling the space in the bottom position of intermodal well-cars, with equal length or longer containers above them.

Model Information: Micro-Trains released this as a new body style in November of 2016. MTL had previously released a 48-footer but that model was a redecorated Deluxe body with smooth sides. For their rib side offering, MTL made the decision to create their own tooling. With this new series, MTL further expanded its line of domestic shipping containers.

Prototype History: An intermodal container is a large standardized shipping container, designed and built for intermodal freight transport, meaning these containers can be used across different modes of transport – from ship to rail to truck – without unloading and reloading their cargo. Intermodal containers are primarily used to store and transport materials and products efficiently and securely in the global containerized intermodal freight transport system, but smaller numbers are in regional use as well. These containers are known under a number of names, such as simply container, cargo or freight container, ISO container, shipping, sea or ocean container, container van or (Conex) box, sea or c can.

The 48-foot (14.63 m) shipping container is a High Cube container in that it is 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) tall on the exterior. It is 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) wide which makes it 6 inches (15 cm) wider than ISO-standard containers. This size was introduced by container shipping company APL in 1986, and is used domestically in North America on road and rail, and may be transported on deck by ship. This size being 8 feet (2.44 m) longer and 6 inches (15 cm) wider has 29% more volume capacity than the standard 40-ft High Cube, yet the cost to move it by truck or rail are almost the same.

From Wikipedia

Road Name History: Hercules Forwarding is an award winning asset based motor carrier specializing in US to Canada LTL shipments. The carrier offers the service advantages and flexibility of a regional carrier, with the coverage of a national carrier; a crucial difference that has made Hercules one of the fastest growing LTL carriers in the market. Utilizing the latest "green" fleet technology advancements available to truck carriers, Hercules is a responsible partner with both the Canada Border Services Agency, and US Customs and Border Protection.

Brand/Importer Information: Micro-Trains is the brand name used by both Kadee Quality Products and Micro-Trains Line. For a history of the relationship between the brand and the two companies, please consult our Micro-Trains Collector's Guide.

Manufacturer Information: Micro-Trains Line split off from Kadee Quality Products in 1990. Kadee Quality Products originally got involved in N-Scale by producing a scaled-down version of their successful HO Magne-Matic knuckle coupler system. This coupler was superior to the ubiquitous 'Rapido' style coupler due to two primary factors: superior realistic appearance and the ability to automatically uncouple when stopped over a magnet embedded in a section of track. The success of these couplers in N-Scale quickly translated to the production of trucks, wheels and in 1972 a release of ready-to-run box cars.

Micro-Trains Line Co. split off from Kadee in 1990 to form a completely independent company. For this reason, products from this company can appear with labels from both enterprises. Due to the nature of production idiosyncrasies and various random factors, the rolling stock from Micro-Trains can have all sorts of interesting variations in both their packaging as well as the products themselves. When acquiring an MTL product it is very important to understand these important production variations that can greatly enhance (or decrease) the value of your purchase.

Please consult our Micro-Trains Collector's Guide