West India Fruit Company Boxcars
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Robert G P
Hello all, Just curious if anyone could tell anything interesting or share photos (spotted in trains or on sidings/team tracks) of the WIF boxcars? I know they were used on Ferries between Fla and Cuba and that they had a few ex erie 36 foot steel and some late AAR 8' door 40' boxcars. I also know they roamed everywhere from Fla to Canada and California.
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BillM
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From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Robert G P
Sent: January 14, 2022 9:03 PM To: RealSTMFC@groups.io Subject: [RealSTMFC] West India Fruit Company Boxcars
Hello all,
Just curious if anyone could tell anything interesting or share photos (spotted in trains or on sidings/team tracks) of the WIF boxcars?
I know they were used on Ferries between Fla and Cuba and that they had a few ex erie 36 foot steel and some late AAR 8' door 40' boxcars.
I also know they roamed everywhere from Fla to Canada and California.
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Jim Gates
200-349 built 1-52 ACF lot 3593. Yarmouth makes an HO resin kit https://www.yarmouthmodelworks.com/index.php/ResinModelKits/YMW-113. 100-199? 10 cars purchased 1949 from HPT&D 401-425 built 1929 by BCF. Sunshine made an HP resin kit. See attachment. Jim Gates
On Friday, January 14, 2022, 08:03:35 PM CST, Robert G P <bobgp5109@...> wrote: Hello all, Just curious if anyone could tell anything interesting or share photos (spotted in trains or on sidings/team tracks) of the WIF boxcars? I know they were used on Ferries between Fla and Cuba and that they had a few ex erie 36 foot steel and some late AAR 8' door 40' boxcars. I also know they roamed everywhere from Fla to Canada and California.
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Allan Smith
Try these: Youtube: West India Fruit and Steamship Co. Film rrfallen flags.org Wikipedia: Type West India Fruit & Steamship Co RPC 29 P109-113 RPC 34 P172-174 Rail Model Journal Oct 1990 P52-58 Mainline Modeler 1988 P52-54 These should give you a start, although there are many other sources for WIF. Al Smith Sonora CA
On Friday, January 14, 2022, 07:14:33 PM PST, Jim Gates via groups.io <jim.gates@...> wrote:
200-349 built 1-52 ACF lot 3593. Yarmouth makes an HO resin kit https://www.yarmouthmodelworks.com/index.php/ResinModelKits/YMW-113. 100-199? 10 cars purchased 1949 from HPT&D 401-425 built 1929 by BCF. Sunshine made an HP resin kit. See attachment. Jim Gates On Friday, January 14, 2022, 08:03:35 PM CST, Robert G P <bobgp5109@...> wrote: Hello all, Just curious if anyone could tell anything interesting or share photos (spotted in trains or on sidings/team tracks) of the WIF boxcars? I know they were used on Ferries between Fla and Cuba and that they had a few ex erie 36 foot steel and some late AAR 8' door 40' boxcars. I also know they roamed everywhere from Fla to Canada and California.
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...and Vancouver BC Canada:
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WIF 106 https://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/uploads/r/null/9/2/927329/41b0bb2a-a9bf-4ce9-85ad-d213a848aedb-A28963.jpg Walter E Frost, Dec. 27, 1952 and with the well-remembered ship profile; WIF 321 https://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/uploads/r/null/9/2/927338/7658ec35-f30a-4588-a7a3-ceb33329747c-A28964.jpg Walter E. Frost, Apr. 16, 1955 Hope this helps... I think they've both been linked to the list previously. -------------------- Richard Brennan - San Leandro CA --------------------
At 06:03 PM 1/14/2022, Robert G P via groups.io wrote:
Just curious if anyone could tell anything interesting or share photos (spotted in trains or on sidings/team tracks) of the WIF boxcars?
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Robert G P
Thank you guys lots! Sure was an interesting company! I'll also join the Fruit group. Didnt know about it! -Bob
On Fri, Jan 14, 2022 at 11:44 PM Richard Brennan <rbrennan@...> wrote: ...and Vancouver BC Canada:
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William Dale
I will have to check which book(s) these appear in, but they did come through Reading PA, of course on the Reading Company.
Billy
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Some photos.
Bob Chaparro Hemet, CA         
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Hi,
I've always referred to the W.I.F. cars as "Banana Boxes". *G* - Jim
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reubeft
WIF had a truck marshalling yard in New Orleans. Site was close to the T&P/ MP Race St. yard. At one time had a B/W picture of one of the carriers leaning on its side waiting to be scrapped.
Either Port of Palm Beach or Port Everglades website, can't remember which had a nice pic of an outside braced WIF car. Did download it. Will look on my external drive for it. SIDE NOTE: United Fruit or Standard Fruit attempted to grow bananas in Cuba. Was never successful. But have seen many promotional postcards, etc., of these vessels steaming in and out Cuba. The SeaTrain gantry in Belle Chasse south of New Orleans stopped operations in the early 60's. The gantry was talked down in the early 2000's. Only the two concrete piers and some trestle remains. SeaTrain Lane (road) only thing remaining. Reuben @ Poplarville, Ms
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Robert G P
Sounds neat, never did see a WIF outside braced car!
WIF had a truck marshalling yard in New Orleans. Site was close to the T&P/ MP Race St. yard. At one time had a B/W picture of one of the carriers leaning on its side waiting to be scrapped.
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Jack Mullen
On Sat, Jan 15, 2022 at 05:25 PM, Jim Betz wrote:
I've always referred to the W.I.F. cars as "Banana Boxes". *G*Surely "Cigar Boxes" is a better fit for Havana. ;^) Jack Mullen
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Michael Palmieri
Just to add to what others have posted, in 1954 WIF acquired the SEATRAIN NEW ORLEANS, renamed it SEA LEVEL, and began operating it between the Seatrain terminal along the Mississippi River and the Missouri Pacific just south of New Orleans and Havana. An article in the 2 June 1961 New York Times reported that all six WIF train ferries were for sale.
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BillM
I grew up in Lake Worth, FL just south of WPB. I remember being at the beach in mid to late 50s and we could see the car ferries just off shore as they were either leaving or coming into the Port of Palm Beach.
Bill Michael
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Michael Palmieri
Sent: January 16, 2022 3:10 PM To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] West India Fruit Company Boxcars
Just to add to what others have posted, in 1954 WIF acquired the SEATRAIN NEW ORLEANS, renamed it SEA LEVEL, and began operating it between the Seatrain terminal along the Mississippi River and the Missouri Pacific just south of New Orleans and Havana. An article in the 2 June 1961 New York Times reported that all six WIF train ferries were for sale.
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Dennis Storzek
On Sun, Jan 16, 2022 at 12:10 PM, Michael Palmieri wrote:
Just to add to what others have posted, in 1954 WIF acquired the SEATRAIN NEW ORLEANS, renamed it SEA LEVEL, and began operating it between the Seatrain terminal along the Mississippi River and the Missouri Pacific just south of New Orleans and Havana.That may explain why and when the ship outline used in the herald changed. See message 189651 for examples. What I think was the earlier herald has a ship with a vertical prow and a longer superstructure, the later ship was much more streamlined. All the wood reefers I've seen photos had the more streamlined ship. Dennis Storzek
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Robert G P
That is correct Dennis, also the green paint appeared in the late 50's.
On Sun, Jan 16, 2022 at 5:03 PM Dennis Storzek <dennis@...> wrote: On Sun, Jan 16, 2022 at 12:10 PM, Michael Palmieri wrote:
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Michael Palmieri
WIF began service between Port Everglades and Havana in 1946, then moved to West Palm Beach in 1947. Operation began with the former Grand Trunk Western ferry GRAND HAVEN, then it acquired former FEC HENRY M. FLAGLER (USN KEOKUK) and JOSEPH R. PARROTT (USN SHAWMUT) from the U.S. Government in 1947.
WIF’s first new vessel, the NEW GRAND HAVEN, was completed in May 1951, then it acquired the SEATRAIN NEW ORLEANS in 1954, renamed it SEA LEVEL, and began operating it between New Orleans and Havana, replacing former Sea-Train service. In March 1956 WIF began operating an automobile ferry between Key West and Havana using the CITY OF HAVANA, a former LSD which had been used by the Royal Navy under the Lend-Lease program during WWII.
The last addition was the oddly-named CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, oddly-named because it was a stern loader and could not operate out of New Orleans! It was delivered in August 1959, shortly after Fidel Castro came into power, and it made less than 100 trips to Cuba. After normal service ended, WIF was able to repatriate about 900 of the 1,000 American freight cars on the island before all service ended and the company went out of business. WIF’s reporting marks were deleted from the Official Railway Equipment Register in April 1961.
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ed_mines
Ted Cullotta offers a kit for the Erie cars you mentioned and there's a photo of one of these cars with WIF markings in one of his books. |
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Robert G P
Thank you guys so much for the extra info! I love the histories of the Vessels themselves! -Bob G.P
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Robert G P
That last paragraph answers a longtime Q of mine. I wonder what cars were left down there, and if any survive today? Thanks again, Bob
On Wed, Jan 19, 2022 at 8:26 PM Robert G P <bobgp5109@...> wrote:
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