A container plan is not a price conversation with a shipping line; it is arithmetic done on the carton record before production. For a wooden train range the record is uneven by category: sets and tables carry the volume, track packs carry the carton count, and accessories are the small cartons that fill the gaps. This page shows how the record becomes a loading plan and where the numbers have to be confirmed.
All figures here are planning figures. Per-model carton data is stated on the model pages where it exists and confirmed per model where it does not; a container plan built on this page's arithmetic still needs the confirmed carton record before production.
The carton record: six fields before any arithmetic
| Field | Unit | Why it decides |
|---|---|---|
| Pieces per carton | count | turns an order quantity into a carton count |
| Carton dimensions | cm, L × W × H | gives CBM and container fit |
| Gross weight | kg | payload; weight can bind before volume |
| Inner pack | pcs per inner box | receiving and repacking |
| Carton type | export, display or pallet | stowage and damage risk |
| Stackability | yes or no, and max stack | floor load and crush risk |
A model quoted without these six fields cannot be planned. Ask for the record with the quotation, not after the order is placed, and recheck it when the box is final because a packaging change moves the dimensions.
The arithmetic, step by step
- Cartons = order quantity ÷ pieces per carton, rounded up.
- Carton CBM = length × width × height ÷ 1,000,000, with dimensions in centimetres.
- Order CBM = cartons × carton CBM.
- Order gross weight = cartons × carton gross weight.
- Shipment volume = order volume plus a stowage allowance.
| Step | Formula | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Carton count | qty ÷ pcs per carton | a part carton is still a carton |
| Carton volume | L × W × H ÷ 1,000,000 | centimetres, not millimetres |
| Order volume | cartons × carton CBM | sum by model, then add |
| Order weight | cartons × gross weight | compare with payload |
| Volumetric weight | L × W × H ÷ a carrier divisor | divisor varies by carrier |
An illustration of the arithmetic, not a model specification: a model quoted at 60 pieces per carton, in a carton of 60 × 40 × 35 cm, gives 5 cartons for a 300-piece order, 0.084 CBM per carton and 0.42 CBM for the order. The point is the method; the model's real figures are confirmed per model.
Container capacity: nominal and usable
Common planning figures are around 28 CBM for a 20GP and around 68 CBM for a 40HQ. Both are nominal: stowage, pallets, door-end space and carton shape take a share back. Plan on a percentage of the nominal figure, because a plan built on full fill does not close the doors.
| Container | Typical planning volume | Fits | Watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20GP | around 28 CBM nominal | first mixed order, thin depth | carton count and door access |
| 40HQ | around 68 CBM nominal | consolidated reorder | payload, floor load, door access |
| LCL | charged per CBM or tonne | samples and accessory top-ups | minimum charge and handling |
Payload is a carrier and route question, not a catalogue number. Confirm the limit on the booking, and confirm whether the container is floor-loaded or palletised before the plan is fixed.
What binds first: volume or weight
Tables and large sets fill space long before they reach a payload limit. Dense small items, such as engines and scenery, can reach the weight limit while the container is still half full. A mixed container wants a balance, and the supplier should state which constraint binds for the mix rather than for each model alone.
Mixed-container rules
- Build the plan by carton, never by unit or by model value.
- Load the heavy, dense cartons low and forward.
- Put flat-packed tables and large set cartons in first, against the container wall.
- Keep the door end for the last cartons loaded and the first unloaded.
- Never borrow carton data from a sibling model; confirm each model in the mix.
- If the container is palletised, plan the pallet footprint, not only the carton CBM.
- Leave access for inspection and for the loading photos.
A mixed container of sets, track and tables rarely loads like the sum of single-model plans. The loading plan is a separate deliverable from the quotation, and it should be agreed before production rather than at the port.
What only the seller can answer
- Which carton fields are final, and which move when the box or piece mix changes.
- Whether the carton is palletised or floor-loaded, and the cartons per pallet.
- Whether the plan is built on a display carton or an export carton.
- Which models in the mix are the volume drivers and which are the weight drivers.
- Whether the production partner supplies a loading plan and loading photos for the exact mix.
- What the cartons-per-container ceiling is for the mix before the plan is re-cut.
How to verify a container plan
- Recompute cartons from the order quantity and the pieces per carton.
- Recompute CBM from the packed dimensions, not from the assembled size.
- Total the gross weight and compare it with the payload confirmed for the booking.
- Apply a stowage allowance and check that the plan still fits the usable volume.
- Check that every model in the mix appears with its own carton record.
- Mark the door end and confirm the last-loaded cartons are the first unloaded.
- Compare the final carton count with the packing list, and keep the loading photos.
Where the numbers live
The model pages carry the per-model carton record, with confirmed per model used where a field is still open. The container load calculator turns a carton list into an estimate, the container loading guide covers the load order in more detail, and the benchmarks page gives the category-level bands. Carton data is confirmed in the quotation for the exact mix and destination.
Packing data by category
| Category | Models | Carton qty (median) | Packed size stated | Est. packed volume (median) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complete train sets | 46 | 12 | 45/46 models | 0.0054 m³ |
| Track, rails and switches | 34 | 10 | 34/34 models | 0.0086 m³ |
| Engines, carriages and wagons | 17 | 27 | 11/17 models | 0.0024 m³ |
| Train tables and stations | 8 | 1 | 4/8 models | 0.0625 m³ |
| Bridges, tunnels and signals | 14 | 8 | 14/14 models | 0.0128 m³ |
| Accessories and scenery | 14 | 33 | 12/14 models | 0.0050 m³ |
| Pull-along and first trains | 8 | 45 | 8/8 models | 0.0049 m³ |
| Custom and personalised | 9 | 383 | 9/9 models | 0.0098 m³ |
How a mixed container is planned
The quotation lists carton quantity and packed size per model; the loading plan balances light, bulky cartons (track, scenery) against dense cartons (sets, tables). The container calculator gives an estimate from a carton size before the carton list is final.