[/size]PIKO 36300 Container. HAPAG LLOYD
[/b][/size]
Price: £21.50- £27.00[/font]
Shipping containers come in various sizes through G scale depending on manufacturer. This is Piko?s first container on the market and is new for 2010. [/size]
This is a representation of a 20ft shipping container. In real life these measure 20ft (6.1m) long, 8ft (2.44m) wide, and usually 8ft 6? (2.6m) High.
[SIZE=4 font="times new roman"]Sizes[/SIZE]
[/b]I created the following chart showing the PIKO container size measurements, including the prototype, and how the PIKO measures up to scale.
PIKO
Prototype
to scale
length
300mm
6100mm
20.3
width
112mm
2440mm
21.78
height
110mm
2600mm
23.63
As can be seen, it is a little out of proportion (according to my measurements) Length being 1:20.3, while width and height differ in scale slightly. Looking at it you probably would never have noticed as this does seem to keep it in proportion and when next to a PIKO locomotive it does look ok.
Appearance [/b]
Graphics look good, the orange colour is a good match to the prototype. All details of door handles are there. On the underside are 4 clips (which I assume clips onto the wagon). My only gripe about the container is that the corrugated sides are too rounded, some people may not notice this but as I work with shipping containers day in day out it does tend to stand out. (Except if using the 4ft rule)
Durability
[/font][/b]It?s only been out of its box for about 3 hours I have not dropped it and, It is made of good hard plastic so I hope it will last. Other manufacturers of containers do tend to have problems with opening doors breaking off. To be honest PIKO seem to have quite strong hinges, but still only time will tell.
Compatibility [/b]
As we all know Gscale manufactures vary in scales, and even them some use a rubber ruler. So how does this compare to some of the other manufactures shipping containers? In short it?s a lot bigger than any other container I have, To be expected when comparing tit to the USA trains or Aristocraft boxes at 1:29 scale. Where I was surprised is when I compared this to an LGB toytrain container. The PIKO box dwarfed it, making my hope that I could get a PIKO box on LGB wagon out the window really.
Here are a few pictures to show compatibility:
20ft USA trains box on top of the PIKO one.
Here is the LGB toytrain container on top of the PIKO one.
This next shot shows the size differences of A USA trains 40ft(HANJIN) container, with the PIKO
one, on the bottom is a 45ft Aristocraft container.
Conclusion
[/b]Nice to see PIKO filling the void of LGB for rolling stock and new releases are always welcome, For the £21.95 I paid this container is not a bad price, with a kit bashed flat wagon you could get a container train for a reasonable amount of cash. I do find that if you pay full retail for these they are pricey, but they are far easier to get hold of than other manufacturers of G scale shipping containers here in the UK. My only hope is that they start selling the ones that come with wagons, such as P&O as stand alone products.
[size=4 font="times new roman"]Disclaimer[/b]
I have no affiliation with PIKO I am just an amateur G scale modeller giving an opinion, it is Just that an opinion. Please note that any measurements quoted in the text cannot be guaranteed to be 100% correct.
Editied due to a word processor translation.
[/b][/size]
Price: £21.50- £27.00[/font]
Shipping containers come in various sizes through G scale depending on manufacturer. This is Piko?s first container on the market and is new for 2010. [/size]
This is a representation of a 20ft shipping container. In real life these measure 20ft (6.1m) long, 8ft (2.44m) wide, and usually 8ft 6? (2.6m) High.
[SIZE=4 font="times new roman"]Sizes[/SIZE]
[/b]I created the following chart showing the PIKO container size measurements, including the prototype, and how the PIKO measures up to scale.
PIKO
Prototype
to scale
length
300mm
6100mm
20.3
width
112mm
2440mm
21.78
height
110mm
2600mm
23.63
As can be seen, it is a little out of proportion (according to my measurements) Length being 1:20.3, while width and height differ in scale slightly. Looking at it you probably would never have noticed as this does seem to keep it in proportion and when next to a PIKO locomotive it does look ok.
Appearance [/b]
Graphics look good, the orange colour is a good match to the prototype. All details of door handles are there. On the underside are 4 clips (which I assume clips onto the wagon). My only gripe about the container is that the corrugated sides are too rounded, some people may not notice this but as I work with shipping containers day in day out it does tend to stand out. (Except if using the 4ft rule)
Durability
[/font][/b]It?s only been out of its box for about 3 hours I have not dropped it and, It is made of good hard plastic so I hope it will last. Other manufacturers of containers do tend to have problems with opening doors breaking off. To be honest PIKO seem to have quite strong hinges, but still only time will tell.
Compatibility [/b]
As we all know Gscale manufactures vary in scales, and even them some use a rubber ruler. So how does this compare to some of the other manufactures shipping containers? In short it?s a lot bigger than any other container I have, To be expected when comparing tit to the USA trains or Aristocraft boxes at 1:29 scale. Where I was surprised is when I compared this to an LGB toytrain container. The PIKO box dwarfed it, making my hope that I could get a PIKO box on LGB wagon out the window really.
Here are a few pictures to show compatibility:
20ft USA trains box on top of the PIKO one.
Here is the LGB toytrain container on top of the PIKO one.
This next shot shows the size differences of A USA trains 40ft(HANJIN) container, with the PIKO
Conclusion
[/b]Nice to see PIKO filling the void of LGB for rolling stock and new releases are always welcome, For the £21.95 I paid this container is not a bad price, with a kit bashed flat wagon you could get a container train for a reasonable amount of cash. I do find that if you pay full retail for these they are pricey, but they are far easier to get hold of than other manufacturers of G scale shipping containers here in the UK. My only hope is that they start selling the ones that come with wagons, such as P&O as stand alone products.
[size=4 font="times new roman"]Disclaimer[/b]
I have no affiliation with PIKO I am just an amateur G scale modeller giving an opinion, it is Just that an opinion. Please note that any measurements quoted in the text cannot be guaranteed to be 100% correct.
Editied due to a word processor translation.
