West India Fruit and Steamship Company
Encyclopedia
The West India Fruit and Steamship Company operated a railcar ferry service between the Port of Palm Beach
, Florida
and Havana
, Cuba
from shortly after World War II
until deteriorating relations between the United States
and Cuba culminated in the United States embargo against Cuba
. The company offered six of its ferries for sale in June 1961, citing the fact that "trade had dwindled to the vanishing point" and service ceased in August 1961..
WIF&SS Co., in its role as a car ferry
operator, acted as both a railroad and a steamship line. The service was described as “The Superior All-Rail Route to Cuba.” Freight from anywhere in North America
could be routed to Cuban consignees “in the same cars and packaging in which it left point of origin in the United States.” This had advantages enumerated in WIF&SS Co. sales literature – reduced transit time, less handling of freight, and no repackaging.
service. In addition the company operated two other vessels between the United States and Cuba.
The Grand Haven was formerly a Grand Trunk Milwaukee Car Ferry Company
vessel used previously in trans-Lake Michigan
service. She was built by Craig Shipbuilding Company of Toledo, Michigan in 1903 and appears, from photographic evidence, to be the only ferry in Cuban service fitted with a stern gate, an U.S. Coast Guard requirement for Great Lakes car ferries. She was retired by the WIF&SS Co. in 1960. (Grand Trunk Milwaukee was a Grand Trunk Railway
subsidiary which itself was a subsidiary of Canadian National Railway
, then a Crown corporation.)
The Henry M. Flagler and the Joseph R. Parrott, former Florida East Coast Car Ferry Company vessels, were built by William Cramp and Sons of Philadelphia in 1914 and 1916 respectively for service between Key West
, Florida and Havana, Cuba. Requisitioned by the US Navy for duties in WWII, they were subsequently acquired by WIF&SS Co. for post-war service. (Florida East Coast Car Ferry Company was a Florida East Coast Railway
subsidiary and chose not to reenter the car ferry trade after the war.)
The New Grand Haven was built by Canadian Vickers, Ltd. in Montreal
in 1951.
The City of New Orleans was built by Kure Shipbuilding and Engineering Company of Kure City, Japan
in 1959. It is believed she only made approximately an hundred trips before service to Cuba was suspended.
In addition to the car ferries, the company purchased from Seatrain Lines
, Seatrain New Orleans, a four-deck ship built by Swan, Hunter, and Wigham Richardson of Newcastle upon Tyne
, England
in 1928. She ran from Belle Chasse (New Orleans) to Havana. Cars were loaded and unloaded by crane and cradles. She was renamed Sea Level by the WIF&SS Co. and continued in service from Belle Chasse.
The company also operated an automobile and passenger ferry, the City of Havana, between Key West and Havana.
All the car ferries were active till the cessation of service except for the Grand Haven which had been retired in 1960.
s and boxcars. In the railroad section of the January 1957 Official Railway Equipment Register, 260 cars were listed.
The WIF&SS Co. maintained a fleet of refrigerator cars and boxcars with WIF reporting marks. WIF boxcars did regularly operate throughout the United States.
Cargo carried northward included tobacco, refined sugar, pineapples, rum, tomatoes, slaughterhouse byproducts, and scrap metal. Cuban bound freight included less-than-carload merchandise, manufactured goods, chemicals, lard, railway equipment, temperate zone fruit such as apples, pears, and grapes, meat, dairy, steel products, and machinery, including oversized loads .
The Florida East Coast Car Ferry Company, beginning in 1915, operated a service from Key West, Florida to Havana. After the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935
destroyed the FEC Key West Extension, service was transferred to Port Everglades
. Three ferries were operated until WWII when they were requisitioned by the Navy. The two that survived the war were acquired by the WIF&SS Co. and restored their original names. After the war FEC, did not resume car ferry service.
Seatrain Lines participated in the coasting trade beginning in 1929 hauling railcars between Hoboken, New Jersey
, Savannah, Georgia
, New Orleans, Louisiana
, Havana, Cuba, and Texas City, Texas
. In 1953 Seatrain sold its rights and one vessel in the New Orleans to Havana trade to the WIF&SS Co.
Suwannee Trainferry Lines operated at least one ship,the Antonio Maceo, out of Port Everglades to Cuba. The Antonio Maceo had a substantially different configuration than the Great Lakes style ships used by the WIF&SS Co. Very little documentation exists on this company and possibly service did not last for an extended period. Service started some date after WWII.
Port of Palm Beach
The Port of Palm Beach is located in Riviera Beach, Florida, in Palm Beach County. The Port is an independent taxing district, with a five-member board of commissioners elected at large by voters within the district. The Port district covers a land area of or approximately fifty percent of the...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
from shortly after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
until deteriorating relations between the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Cuba culminated in the United States embargo against Cuba
United States embargo against Cuba
The United States embargo against Cuba is a commercial, economic, and financial embargo partially imposed on Cuba in October 1960...
. The company offered six of its ferries for sale in June 1961, citing the fact that "trade had dwindled to the vanishing point" and service ceased in August 1961..
WIF&SS Co., in its role as a car ferry
Train ferry
A train ferry is a ship designed to carry railway vehicles. Typically, one level of the ship is fitted with railway tracks, and the vessel has a door at the front and/or rear to give access to the wharves. In the United States, train ferries are sometimes referred to as "car ferries", as...
operator, acted as both a railroad and a steamship line. The service was described as “The Superior All-Rail Route to Cuba.” Freight from anywhere in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
could be routed to Cuban consignees “in the same cars and packaging in which it left point of origin in the United States.” This had advantages enumerated in WIF&SS Co. sales literature – reduced transit time, less handling of freight, and no repackaging.
Vessels
During its history, the WIF&SS Co. operated a total of five car ferries to Cuba very similar in design and operation to the ferries built for Great LakesGreat Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
service. In addition the company operated two other vessels between the United States and Cuba.
- SS Grand Haven (Car Ferry)
- SS Henry M. Flagler (Car Ferry)
- SS Joseph R. Parrott (Car Ferry)
- SS New Grand Haven (Car Ferry)
- SS City of New Orleans (Car Ferry)
- SS Sea Level (Ship)
- SS City of Havana (Automobile Ferry)
The Grand Haven was formerly a Grand Trunk Milwaukee Car Ferry Company
Grand Trunk Milwaukee Car Ferry Company
The Grand Trunk Milwaukee Car Ferry Company was the Grand Trunk Western Railroad's subsidiary company operating its Lake Michigan railroad car ferry operations between Muskegon, Michigan, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from 1905 to 1978...
vessel used previously in trans-Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
service. She was built by Craig Shipbuilding Company of Toledo, Michigan in 1903 and appears, from photographic evidence, to be the only ferry in Cuban service fitted with a stern gate, an U.S. Coast Guard requirement for Great Lakes car ferries. She was retired by the WIF&SS Co. in 1960. (Grand Trunk Milwaukee was a Grand Trunk Railway
Grand Trunk Railway
The Grand Trunk Railway was a railway system which operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as well as the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The railway was operated from headquarters in Montreal, Quebec; however, corporate...
subsidiary which itself was a subsidiary of Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
, then a Crown corporation.)
The Henry M. Flagler and the Joseph R. Parrott, former Florida East Coast Car Ferry Company vessels, were built by William Cramp and Sons of Philadelphia in 1914 and 1916 respectively for service between Key West
Key West
Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. Key West is home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....
, Florida and Havana, Cuba. Requisitioned by the US Navy for duties in WWII, they were subsequently acquired by WIF&SS Co. for post-war service. (Florida East Coast Car Ferry Company was a Florida East Coast Railway
Florida East Coast Railway
The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida; in the past, it has been a Class I railroad.Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a project of Standard Oil principal Henry Morrison...
subsidiary and chose not to reenter the car ferry trade after the war.)
The New Grand Haven was built by Canadian Vickers, Ltd. in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
in 1951.
The City of New Orleans was built by Kure Shipbuilding and Engineering Company of Kure City, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 1959. It is believed she only made approximately an hundred trips before service to Cuba was suspended.
In addition to the car ferries, the company purchased from Seatrain Lines
Seatrain Lines
Seatrain Lines was a shipping company most responsible for the introduction of the standard international intermodal container, most commonly high by 8 feet wide by long...
, Seatrain New Orleans, a four-deck ship built by Swan, Hunter, and Wigham Richardson of Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1928. She ran from Belle Chasse (New Orleans) to Havana. Cars were loaded and unloaded by crane and cradles. She was renamed Sea Level by the WIF&SS Co. and continued in service from Belle Chasse.
The company also operated an automobile and passenger ferry, the City of Havana, between Key West and Havana.
All the car ferries were active till the cessation of service except for the Grand Haven which had been retired in 1960.
Rail equipment
The WIF&SS Co. operated at various times a fleet of WIF marked refrigerator carRefrigerator car
A refrigerator car is a refrigerated boxcar , a piece of railroad rolling stock designed to carry perishable freight at specific temperatures. Refrigerator cars differ from simple insulated boxcars and ventilated boxcars , neither of which are fitted with cooling apparatus...
s and boxcars. In the railroad section of the January 1957 Official Railway Equipment Register, 260 cars were listed.
Connections
At Palm Beach, the company connected with the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) via the West Palm Beach Terminal Company (WPBT). WPBT physically switched railcars on and off the ferries for the WIF&SS Co. Freight in cars from any North American railway could be routed to the FEC by way of interchange in Jacksonville, Florida. [1] In Havana connection was with the Ferrocarriles Unidos de la Habana (FCUH) or in English United Railways of Havana, which had interchanges with the other Cuban railways. At Belle Chase, LA the WIF&SS Co. connected the rest of the North American system via the New Orleans and Lower Coast.Operations
No transfer of commodities was necessary upon arrival or railcars in Havana; Cuban railways handled the railcars directly to consignees. North American owned railcars operated routinely throughout Cuba, but evidence suggests that cars of the Cuban railways rarely, if ever, operated on North American roads.The WIF&SS Co. maintained a fleet of refrigerator cars and boxcars with WIF reporting marks. WIF boxcars did regularly operate throughout the United States.
Cargo carried northward included tobacco, refined sugar, pineapples, rum, tomatoes, slaughterhouse byproducts, and scrap metal. Cuban bound freight included less-than-carload merchandise, manufactured goods, chemicals, lard, railway equipment, temperate zone fruit such as apples, pears, and grapes, meat, dairy, steel products, and machinery, including oversized loads .
Forerunners and Competitors
Other known companies engaged in United States-Cuba car ferry service are as follows:The Florida East Coast Car Ferry Company, beginning in 1915, operated a service from Key West, Florida to Havana. After the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935
Labor Day Hurricane of 1935
The 1935 Labor Day Hurricane was the strongest tropical cyclone of the 1935 Atlantic hurricane season, and one of the most intense hurricanes to make landfall in the United States in recorded history...
destroyed the FEC Key West Extension, service was transferred to Port Everglades
Port Everglades
Port Everglades is a port in Broward County, Florida. As one of South Florida's leading economic powerhouses, Port Everglades is the gateway for international trade and cruise vacations. Already one of the three busiest cruise ports worldwide, Port Everglades is also one of Florida's leading...
. Three ferries were operated until WWII when they were requisitioned by the Navy. The two that survived the war were acquired by the WIF&SS Co. and restored their original names. After the war FEC, did not resume car ferry service.
Seatrain Lines participated in the coasting trade beginning in 1929 hauling railcars between Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
, Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
, New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, Havana, Cuba, and Texas City, Texas
Texas City, Texas
Texas City is a city in Chambers and Galveston counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 41,521 at the 2000 census. It is a part of the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. In 1953 Seatrain sold its rights and one vessel in the New Orleans to Havana trade to the WIF&SS Co.
Suwannee Trainferry Lines operated at least one ship,the Antonio Maceo, out of Port Everglades to Cuba. The Antonio Maceo had a substantially different configuration than the Great Lakes style ships used by the WIF&SS Co. Very little documentation exists on this company and possibly service did not last for an extended period. Service started some date after WWII.
External links
- Rail Marine Information Group General information on Rail-Marine operations.
- From Engine #9 to Engine #238 at Port of Palm Beach, article on ferry operations at Port of Palm Beach.
- http://www.flarr.com/wifsc1.htmPhotograph of WIF refrigerator car
- http://www.flarr.com/wifsc2.htmPhotograph of WIF refrigerator car