21 June 2011

Half Height Containers

Following on from some excellent photos posted on the Barcoola Blog, here is a selection and description of most 'half height' containers in service these day.  Most photos are taken in SA during the last 5 years.

I'll try and classify them technically for easy identification.  There are three main 'half height' container types:
  1. Flat Rack.  Fitted with foldable or solid ends which can support the weight of a container double stacked.  A common Australian Flat Rack is probably 6'9'', although desgins vary, usually based on the product carried.  Don't get this confused with a transiflat which has no solid ends.
  2. 'G' Type Container.  These are generally curtain sided, although FCL do have a standard 40ft steel sided version and SCF have an all side door version. These are suitable for double stacking and are very similar to the flatracks but have a roof and curtain side added.  I would love to hear from anyone who knows more about the 'G' type container term, as I have only heard it used a few times.  These containers are also commonly 6'9''.
  3. Lower than normal steel container.  These containers are not actually half height, or even close to it - they are actually 8'6'' which is the standard shipping container height.  What makes it odd is that they are extremely long, and may also come in taller versions, such as the TNT/Ceva containers.   

A flatrack double stacked

 Three K&S steel flack racks.  Not the bottom flat rack has been folded down into a transiflat.

Another flat rack  

An extendable steel flat rack double stacked 

SCT owned curtain sided 'G' containers

 
An SCF side door G container
 
A Toll curtain sided G container stacked on the top.  The Pilkinton containers are 11'6'' or maybe more!

 
A Toll curtain sider and a TNT 8'6'' (51'6'' long).  Most of the TNT car-containers are 10'6''   

 A Freightlink 53ft container, measuring up at 8'6''.  These containers only come in this height. 

Not falling clearly into any category, this short steel container could be called a flat rack, but is more specialised rather than being a true 'half height'.

To finish off, a steel FCL container. 

Enjoy


6 comments:

  1. What are the wagon numbers pictured above?

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  2. Who knows? The Blog was about containers, not wagons.

    WF

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  3. I asked someone re 2, this is part of his reply: The G is for Glass, they are used for transporting glass wine bottles to WA for Amcor Glass.

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  4. Thanks for the feedback Greg.

    Another Australian container type I have heard of is the 'R' type (R probably stands for Reefer). These are 40ft continares with the reefer unit hanging out the end by about another foot or so.

    Cheers

    WF

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  5. Further to my earlier post, I believe the SCT / Toll one looked liked this http://www.flickr.com/photos/60901191@N08/5900094009 before being modified to how they are now.

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  6. Interesting insight, although I am pretty certain the Toll and SCT ones were built new.

    WF

    ReplyDelete