CTI and OCL Shipping Containers

For a while i have wanted to produce a more prototypical collection of 20ft containers that were commonly see on goods trains through Ballarat in the early 1980s. Shipping containers from Overseas Containers Limited (OCL) were common in Australia at time. OCL was a British shipping company that operated from the UK to Australia. By 1982 they were operating of fleet of over 60,000 shipping containers.  OCL had both plain and ribbed sided, 40ft and 20ft containers.

A plain sided 40ft and 20ft ribbed sided OCL shipping containers loaded on a QMX container wagon. The 20ft container uses Main West Models decals while the logo on the 40ft container was produced by spray painting decal film and then cutting out the logo with a hobby knife.

For this project I used Athearn 20ft shipping containers, Main West Models decals and Humbrol and Testors paints. The CTi shipping containers have plain panel on part of the ribbed side and the OCL shipping containers have completely ribbed sides.  I used photo's from Rob O'Regan as a guide for the placement of the logo and the container code and numbers. From the photos that I could find, it appears that the logo on the OCL containers was at the door end on both sides.

The logo for the OCL 40ft shipping container was produced by spray painting decal film and then cutting out the logo with a hobby knife. I used Rob O'Regan photos of OCL 40ft containers loaded on flat wagons on the Mildura line as a guide for placement of the logo and weathering.

Below are some photos of the new containers in service on a Up Jet through Ballarat North.

20ft FESCO and CTi shipping containers loaded in ELX 4. This wagon was one the plain sided ELX's that were rebuild with corregated sides in the late 1970's.

An Australian National FB flat wagon loaded with 20ft CTi and OCL containers. This flat wagon is an US model which has had number boards added and been repainted SAR light grey.

Two CTi 20ft containers loaded in an Australian National AOBX wagon. The containers have been painted different shades of red reflecting a Rob O'Regan photo of two CTi containers on a FQX.