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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. ==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 Lakes 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 vessel used previously in trans-Lake Michigan service. She was built by Craig Shipbuilding Company of Toledo, Ohio 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 a 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. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「West India Fruit and Steamship Company」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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