[Bonus: Special postcard included] RM Re-Library 18 All about JNR containers

RM Re-Library will reprint two or three of the best volumes from the RM LIBRARY , which has a long history of over 270 issues.
The 18th volume in the series is a combined edition of "Everything about JNR Containers (Volumes 1 and 2)" (by Yoshioka Shinpei) from RM Library Volumes 121 and 122 .

This book introduces the containers owned by JNR itself during the JNR era, categorized by type (i.e. it does not include privately owned containers or containers from the JR era).
Container transport by the Japanese National Railways began in earnest in 1959 , but the author's deep knowledge can be seen in the fact that this book begins with a chapter on the "mythical era" that preceded that time. After a historical overview and a discussion of the changes in paint and markings, the author goes on to provide a detailed explanation of the characteristics and serial number classifications of each type of container, starting with covered containers. The true essence of this book lies in the fact that it explains containers with the same density and heat as the author's first-rate explanations of each type of freight car.

The chapters are titled: Covered containers (type 1), refrigerated containers (type 1), ventilated containers, 2.5 ton containers, hopper containers, tank containers, type 2 containers, type 3 containers, etc.
The types 1 to 3 mentioned here refer to the container standards established by Japanese National Railways, with type 1 being the original 5- ton container standard (commonly known as a 10 -foot container), type 2 being a 5 -ton container ( 12 -foot container) that conforms to ISO standards, and type 3 being a 10 -ton container.
In particular, during the period when Type 1 and Type 2 freight cars were used together, there were complex operations such as different numbers of items being loaded onto each freight car, but this book will help you deepen your understanding.
It is also interesting to read about how special containers such as hoppers and tanks had been replaced by privately owned containers by the time the second type was established, so the history of JNR containers came to an end in a kind of era.