I'm not a huge math nut, but I do dabble in the numerical arts from time to time.
The Maersk train set, #10219, contains shipping containers larger than any official LEGO containers to date. I remember it caused quite a stir among the 6-wide crowd at the time.
Well in my new job I have a lot of exposure to shipping containers, so I've learned alot about them.
The #10219 containers are 6x16 and are 5 and 2/3 bricks tall, with an extra plate on top and bottom for connecting them to other containers.
A typical 20 foot container is 8'x20'x8.5'.
8 wide Trains, as I build them, are about 1:48 scale, and I use a rule of thumb of 8 studs to 10 feet.
Multiplying it out, 8' wide becomes 6.4 studs. Close enough to 6 studs for me. 20' long becomes 16 studs exactly. 8.5' becomes 6.8 studs tall, and when converted to brick height, knowing that bricks have a 5 bricks to 6 studs height ratio, becomes 5.66 bricks tall, or 5 and 2/3 bricks.
Meaning that LEGO has made their new shipping containers almost exactly 8-wide scale (as far as I build, anyway). That isn't to say that those who have decided to go other routes are doing it wrong. I just find this to be incredibly fascinating (if not completely nerdy).
For the curious, here's a handy conversion table:
| Feet | Studs | Bricks | ||||
| Size/Type | Length | Width | Height | Length | Width | Height |
| 20' Dry Van | 19' 10 1/2" | 8' | 8' 6" | 16 | 6 |
5 2/3 |
| 40' Dry Van | 40' | 8' | 8' 6" | 32 |
6 |
5 2/3 |
| 40' High Cube | 40' | 8' | 9' 6" | 32 |
6 |
6 1/3 |
| 45 ' High Cube | 45' | 8' | 9' 6" | 36 |
6 |
6 1/3 |
| 20' Refrigerated | 19'10 1/2" | 8' | 8' 6" | 16 |
6 |
5 2/3 |
| 40' Refrigerated | 40' | 8' | 8' 6" | 32 |
6 |
5 2/3 |
| 40' HC Refrigerated | 40' | 8' | 9' 6" | 32 |
6 |
6 1/3 |
like you, i love intermodal but the line that i personally like is CSX
Ooh thanks., This saves me some conversion time as I was planning the similar things this summer.
Aha. I knew this thread was here SOMEWHERE.
I just built the TTX double-stack set 10170, plus a couple of custom containers, and tomorrow it will get to run around the track at the meeting. It's neat - 20.5 inches long. I'm now working on the Maersk. So another addition to the project list: try to hack the TTX up to 8-wide and build new containers. Thanks for the conversions, Tony!
(So an 8-wide one would be in the neighborhood of two feet of car.)