Micro-Trains - 761 00 030 - Container, 40 Foot, Smoothside, Dry - Hamburg Süd - 4-Pack

Prototype History: The 40 foot container is the king of the container business. It is the most common standard container size used for international and domestic shipping. Most intermodal operations that handle overseas shipping are optimized for this container size. These containers are typically reinforced for loading, unloading and transportation by ship.

Dry containers are meant for non-refrigerated goods and hence are the most common type.

Smoothside containers, while less popular than their corrugated brethren, are still popular. They are frequently built with insulation in their walls.

Road Name History: In 1871, Hamburg Südamerikanische Dampfschifffahrts-Gesellschaft is founded as a joint-stock company by representatives of eleven Hamburg merchant houses. Three steamers of barely 4,000 GRT sail to Brazil in a monthly service.
In 1955, the Dr. August Oetker company takes over the business of Hamburg Süd completely.
In December, 2016 after more than 80 years, Dr. August Oetker KG announces plans to divest its shipping business and all related activities. Acquisition negotiations are conducted with the Danish shipping line Maersk. Since December 1, 2017, Hamburg Süd belongs to A.P. Moller - Maersk. At the same time, Hamburg Süd will remain a commercially independent company with its own brand values. The Hamburg Süd brand will continue to represent quality, reliability, and flexibility, in addition to providing a specific service offering with outstanding local expertise and personal contacts in over 250 offices worldwide.

Brand/Importer 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.