High-Cube Containers

[Legolash2o]

Does anyone know a good source for finding out how much of the freight within the UK is now carried on High-Cube containers?

In 2013, it was just under 50%.
https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/High-Cubes-Dominate-Container-Equipment-Market-2014-06-18

 

[DBS92042]

I don't think this is quite what your looking for but I can maybe give you an idea of what it's like these days. From the 4L92, 4L18 and 4M56 today, 69 out of the 84 40ft containers on all three trains combined were HighCubes.

 

[Legolash2o]

Nice. Where abouts where they starting?

 

[DBS92042]

Nice. Where abouts where they starting?

Ditton, Trafford Park, and London Gateway respectively

 

[furnessvale]

Nor sure what your survey is about, but at least as important (for the railways) is the imbalance between 40ft and 20ft containers which is powering the investment in new 40ft flats. Meanwhile, many trains run with a single 40ft box on a 60ft platform.

 

[Legolash2o]

Nor sure what your survey is about, but at least as important (for the railways) is the imbalance between 40ft and 20ft containers which is powering the investment in new 40ft flats. Meanwhile, many trains run with a single 40ft box on a 60ft platform.

Hey,

I'm just curious as the popularity of High-Cube containers are these days, to understand where loading gauge improvements should be i.e. Transpennine.

Surely on the 60ft platform, it would be more cost effective to have a 40ft and a 20ft? Do you have any more info on that imbalance please? Would be cool to read and understand that.

 

[furnessvale]

Hey,

I'm just curious as the popularity of High-Cube containers are these days, to understand where loading gauge improvements should be i.e. Transpennine.

Surely on the 60ft platform, it would be more cost effective to have a 40ft and a 20ft? Do you have any more info on that imbalance please? Would be cool to read and understand that.

That IS the imbalance. There are that many 40fts compared to 20fts that the available 20fts don't fill all the gaps. I will try and post a link to further information.

This link gives many useful bits about containers in general.

Blog Posts about Shipping Containers - Container xChange

The invention that changed global trade comes in different sizes, shapes and features. This section helps you understand its different dimensions.

container-xchange.com

I have not immediately found a link to the 20/40ft imbalance on rail, but it is immediately obvious by the purchases of 40ft flats to replace older 60fts which are running round with many 20ft unused gaps.

This link discusses new 40ft platforms and the need for them.

VTG chose WH Davis for Ecofret2

VTG Rail UK has signed an agreement with WH Davis to build 84 of their new trademarked Ecofret2 triple container wagons. The East Midlands manufacturer…

www.railfreight.com

 

[wallan]

That IS the imbalance. There are that many 40fts compared to 20fts that the available 20fts don't fill all the gaps. I will try and post a link to further information.

This link gives many useful bits about containers in general.

Blog Posts about Shipping Containers - Container xChange

The invention that changed global trade comes in different sizes, shapes and features. This section helps you understand its different dimensions.

container-xchange.com

I have not immediately found a link to the 20/40ft imbalance on rail, but it is immediately obvious by the purchases of 40ft flats to replace older 60fts which are running round with many 20ft unused gaps.

This link discusses new 40ft platforms and the need for them.

VTG chose WH Davis for Ecofret2

VTG Rail UK has signed an agreement with WH Davis to build 84 of their new trademarked Ecofret2 triple container wagons. The East Midlands manufacturer…

www.railfreight.com

Some Containers are now 45Ft

 

[furnessvale]

Blog Posts about Shipping Containers - Container xChange

The invention that changed global trade comes in different sizes, shapes and features. This section helps you understand its different dimensions.

container-xchange.com

Some Containers are now 45Ft

A different market and, in railway terms. catered for by multifret, megafret and IDA wagons. Deep sea intercontinental traffic is virtually exclusive 20ft and increaingly 40ft boxes.

 

[3973EXL]

Some Containers are now 45Ft

Or even 50'.

Historically flows on rails have been - Maritime mostly 20/40 ISO containers with 45 now increasing.
Internal/short sea crossings ISO containers and swapbody units with 50' now working out of Daventry.

 

[PeterC]

Nor sure what your survey is about, but at least as important (for the railways) is the imbalance between 40ft and 20ft containers which is powering the investment in new 40ft flats. Meanwhile, many trains run with a single 40ft box on a 60ft platform.

Wasn't 30 foot the standard when Freightliner first started? I certainly remember trains with two equal sized boxes filling a container flat.

 

[furnessvale]

Wasn't 30 foot the standard when Freightliner first started? I certainly remember trains with two equal sized boxes filling a container flat.

ISO containers come in multiples of 10ft from 10ft upwards. The early days of Freightliner saw them adopting sizes which suited their domestic market and customers. This saw a lot of 30fts which suited both rail and road vehicles at the time.

Over the years, events have overtaken this. FLL concentrate on deep sea which is dominated by 40ft and to a lesser extent 20ft boxes.

 

[Legolash2o]

That IS the imbalance. There are that many 40fts compared to 20fts that the available 20fts don't fill all the gaps. I will try and post a link to further information.

Ah, makes sense!

Thanks for the links.

 

[Dunfanaghy Rd]

20 foot High Cubes do exist (typical code 25G1) but are rare. Reason being that most 20 footers load by weight and a standard (eg 22G1) has sufficient volume for eg fragmented scrap metal, which seems to be all we export these days. High cubes are good for the likes of clothing (some are actually marked as 'Hangertainer'), and where do all our clothes come from? And how do they get here?
When I was working we had to deal with quite a few 45 footers from Southampton. A number of Thrall Megafrets (the el-cheapo knock-offs of the Arbel design) had the spigots fixed permanently to suit 40 and 45 feet.
Pat

 

[DBS92042]

Nor sure what your survey is about, but at least as important (for the railways) is the imbalance between 40ft and 20ft containers which is powering the investment in new 40ft flats. Meanwhile, many trains run with a single 40ft box on a 60ft platform.

There are a couple of Freightliner intermodal trains I see every now and then with mostly 20ft containers on board, but these are definitely a lot less common than trains dominated with 40ft containers.

 

[furnessvale]

There are a couple of Freightliner intermodal trains I see every now and then with mostly 20ft containers on board, but these are definitely a lot less common than trains dominated with 40ft containers.

Yes, there are always some exceptions that make the rule. For example, Widnes has a higher proportion of 20fts, mainly tanks, due to the chemical works.

 

[Legolash2o]

Does anyone know the types of containers that come in/out of both Hull and Immingham?

I know that the Immingham route became W12 cleared (not W9), and it would be great to see freight already carrying High-Cubes.

 

[GB]

That IS the imbalance. There are that many 40fts compared to 20fts that the available 20fts don't fill all the gaps. I will try and post a link to further information.

This link gives many useful bits about containers in general.

Blog Posts about Shipping Containers - Container xChange

The invention that changed global trade comes in different sizes, shapes and features. This section helps you understand its different dimensions.

container-xchange.com

I have not immediately found a link to the 20/40ft imbalance on rail, but it is immediately obvious by the purchases of 40ft flats to replace older 60fts which are running round with many 20ft unused gaps.

This link discusses new 40ft platforms and the need for them.

VTG chose WH Davis for Ecofret2

VTG Rail UK has signed an agreement with WH Davis to build 84 of their new trademarked Ecofret2 triple container wagons. The East Midlands manufacturer…

www.railfreight.com

Note these 2nd generation eco-frets will also have the ability to take 2x20ft on the outer platforms as well as the middle platform.

They are not really being brought in to replace 60ft flats, more to strengthen them and remove wagons such as the mega-frets which really are a waste of space on most services.

 

[furnessvale]

Note these 2nd generation eco-frets will also have the ability to take 2x20ft on the outer platforms as well as the middle platform.

They are not really being brought in to replace 60ft flats, more to strengthen them and remove wagons such as the mega-frets which really are a waste of space on most services.

Yes. As the overall fleet expands, the percentage of 60ft and megafret flats reduces, more closely matching those types to services needing them.

 

[edwin_m]

I remember seeing a 10ft container on a flat in Wembley many years ago! (1970s probably). I think this size has been used in a couple of unsuccessful projects to revive low-volume railfreight.

 

[GB]

I remember seeing a 10ft container on a flat in Wembley many years ago! (1970s probably). I think this size has been used in a couple of unsuccessful projects to revive low-volume railfreight.

I remember a few years ago a couple of 40fts turned up consisting of 4x10fts bolted together. Pretty sure they were rejected from travel as no standard could be found for them. Quite clever though.

 

[furnessvale]

I remember seeing a 10ft container on a flat in Wembley many years ago! (1970s probably). I think this size has been used in a couple of unsuccessful projects to revive low-volume railfreight.

10fts were used by Freightliner in the early domestic days.

Your second point, you are possibly thinking about Minilink, which mounted four non ISO standard boxes on a converted two axle chassis. If it didn't die a natural death beforehand, the closure of Speedlink certainly saw it off. Photos of Minilink are available on Paul Bartlett's site.

 

[edwin_m]

Your second point, you are possibly thinking about Minilink, which mounted four non ISO standard boxes on a converted two axle chassis. If it didn't die a natural death beforehand, the closure of Speedlink certainly saw it off. Photos of Minilink are available on Paul Bartlett's site.

Yes Minilink was certainly one of them - one of the ideas of a former boss of mine who was also involved with such roaring successes as the Sinfin branch and the Railbus, though to balance things out he did design bits of the Mk3 coach. One of the containers was sitting in Derby RTC for many years.

I think the later project using Network Rail's MPVs to move containers may also have had some 10ft-ers, or one of the several other ideas that were entries in a competition I think.