I need to get specific details on cars that were part of the Standard Fruit Company. The company has or had operations in Honduras, Central America around the 70's and they owned a lot of the bannana fields there (Chiquita Bannana sticker...sounds familiar?) Thanks for all the help. This site rocks!
Did a quick search at Google http://www.google.com on "Standard Fruit Co" that yielded 202 hits, including this photo for an Athearn HO express reefer (stock # 140-5344) http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1115812767 No other info on prototype rail cars. They appear to have been most recently affiliated with Dole Corp. The banana business in Central America has been through some turbulent times due to political, labor and social unrest plus tropical storm/hurricane damage over the years. eNjoy DB
The company you are inquiring about is Standard Fruit & Steamship Co., which was headquartered in New Orleans, LA, for years. Its bananas were "Cabana" bananas. Its major competitor was United Fruit Co., which used the "Chiquita" name. United Fruit owned the International Railway of Central America (F.I.C.A. in Spanish) that operated in Guatemala and El Salvador. Neither company had U.S. railcars. Most bananas moved out of New Orleans in NRC reefers leased to IC. They now move in containers leased to the fruit companies, but, alas, not by railroad.
Thanks for your replies guys! I grew up in Honduras for sometime and I just remember my dad driving past the bannana fields and occacionally spotting a few rail cars. I think they (Standard Fruit Co) used to move the product from the fields to the port (Cortes Port, about 37 miles from the city of San Pedro Sula)by rail. Again, thanks for the help! Robert from the rockies!