Re: [CBQ] What could these crates be?

[Leo <qutlx1@aol.com>]

So is it correct to believe these banana crates moved as REA express on 
passenger trains as opposed to LCL on frt and locals ?

Also would be interesting to know if the crates were loaded at New Orleans or 
at various wholesalers after delivery of a carload.

Leo

Sent from my iPad

> On Mar 19, 2014, at 4:15 PM, "Charlie Vlk" <cvlk@comcast.net> wrote:
> 
> West Madison Street in Chicago was “skid row”……where bums and derelicts 
> (“homeless persons” in todays PC terminology) congregated because of a number 
> of Rescue Missions located in the area.
> 
> It was not far from the Fulton Street Market which was the wholesale 
> distribution center for (primarily) fruits and vegetables.   Pete mentioned 
> that the Banana Messengers were recruited from West Madison Street so we a 
> likely talking about contract employees hired by the banana distributors on a 
> per trip basis, not regular employees of the railroad.
> 
> Seems to me there was an article on the banana traffic in RMC not too long 
> ago that probably covered this.   
> 
> IC had some extra long cabooses set up with accommodations for banana 
> messengers (plans were in MR and identified as “Banana Caboose”) so the 
> concept is not unlike that for livestock drovers that accompanied and cared 
> for the shipment of animals.
> 
> Charlie Vlk
> 
>