Real Box Car Willie

Mark0820 · January 13, 2011

The last two years, I planted what I thought was Box Car Willie, but I'm not sure it was Box Car Willie.

Based on reviews on the Internet, I thought BCW was a tall, indeterminate plant. My plant grew about 3 to 3 1/2 feet. The tomatoes were slightly fluted (in my opinion) and some were kind of pointy on the bottom (not shaped like a heart, but the bottom wasn't flat. They had kind of a roundish bottom with a point.).

The production also wasn't very good. Initially, I had 6 tomatoes. Then, I read a review on Dave's Garden that this plant really likes to grow in mud. I started watering it every other day, and it set lots of fruit. However, the plant wasn't sturdy enough to handle the fruit, and it eventually collapsed to the ground in a pile.

The taste wasn't very good. Oddly enough they weren't really mushy from all of the water either. I ended up throwing them in the sauce pot.

My gut instinct tells me this wasn't Box Car Willie, but really have no idea. I contacted the person I purchased the seed from, and they said they got their seed from Totally Tomatoes. Can someone tell me what a Box Car Willie plant and tomato should be like?

roper2008 · January 13, 2011

I didn't get mine from Totally Tomatoes. Mine was from Heirloom Seeds, but
I think I got the right tomato, and if I didn't I should have saved seeds because
that was a good tomato. I will be ordering new seeds from sandhill. I'm
waiting for them to update their website.

Mark0820 · January 13, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by roper2008

I didn't get mine from Totally Tomatoes. Mine was from Heirloom Seeds, but
I think I got the right tomato, and if I didn't I should have saved seeds because
that was a good tomato. I will be ordering new seeds from sandhill. I'm
waiting for them to update their website.

I thought you probably had a different source. While I can't see the entire tomato, my first impression is the shape of your tomato is different from the tomatoes I had.

Fusion_power · January 13, 2011

Both the OP's description and the photo of the tomato on the cutting board are incorrect for Box Car Willie. The original description because neither fruit nor plant description are correct and the photo because the tomato is much larger than Box Car Willie normally gets. It should be a very good flavored red oblate tomato that rarely gets over 1 pound with most in the 12 ounce to 1 pound range.

DarJones

**carolyn137** · January 13, 2011

I went to my old yearbooks to see what I said when I first listed Box Car Willie in the 1994 SSE Yearbook. Back then I wasn't as verbose as I am now, that comes with advanced age.

75-85 days, large indet, regular foliage, prolific set of 8-12 oz globes, excl taste, from Joe Bratka, NJ, O.S. NY MA C

I should have said oblate fruits but did so in my description above.

O.S. means original source and that was me as first listing it, and NY MA C is my SSE code name as in NY, my state, MA, first two letters of my last name and C, first letter of my first name.

Mark0820 · June 13, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by roper2008

I didn't get mine from Totally Tomatoes. Mine was from Heirloom Seeds, but
I think I got the right tomato, and if I didn't I should have saved seeds because
that was a good tomato. I will be ordering new seeds from sandhill. I'm
waiting for them to update their website.

Did you buy Box Car Willie seed from Sandhill? I did. My plant is growing extremely well, but I only have two clusters of blossoms (three blossoms each). It is still early in the year, but some of my other plants are just loaded. Are you getting a lot of fruit set and blossoms on your BCW?

barkeater · January 13, 2011

I remember about 5 years ago a lot of us got Box Car Willie from Totally Tomatoes which I think got nicknamed Faux Willie because it wasn't. However, whatever it was it was good! it was a large beefsteak with kind of a rough top; I still have seeds and have thought about growing it again. The next year I think carolyn sent me seeds of the real BCW and it was a uniform red tomato similar and slightly bigger, earlier, but not quite as productive as Red Brandywine. At least that's how I remember it. There may be a thread about it here but it might have been back in the GW days.

Mark0820 · January 14, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by barkeater

I remember about 5 years ago a lot of us got Box Car Willie from Totally Tomatoes which I think got nicknamed Faux Willie because it wasn't. However, whatever it was it was good! it was a large beefsteak with kind of a rough top; I still have seeds and have thought about growing it again. The next year I think carolyn sent me seeds of the real BCW and it was a uniform red tomato similar and slightly bigger, earlier, but not quite as productive as Red Brandywine. At least that's how I remember it. There may be a thread about it here but it might have been back in the GW days.

Thanks barkeater! I like that nickname: Faux Willie.

If it tasted good, that is all that really matters.

organichris · June 13, 2011

I didn't intend on growing Box Car Willie, but I saw some Ferry-Morse seeds in the nursery and couldn't very well resist. I actually have a few BCW plants, but only one of them is producing in this heat. Haven't had any ripe yet.

remy · June 14, 2011

Carolyn sent me seeds a few years back, and I grew them(2007?) Definitely different than others floating around out there. I sent seeds out to quite a few people in trade and sales so anyone who got them from me does have the correct tomato. I'm growing it again this year since it still seems like you and others are still getting incorrect seed.
Remy

**carolyn137** · June 14, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by remy

Carolyn sent me seeds a few years back, and I grew them(2007?) Definitely different than others floating around out there. I sent seeds out to quite a few people in trade and sales so anyone who got them from me does have the correct tomato. I'm growing it again this year since it still seems like you and others are still getting incorrect seed.
Remy

Yes I did Remy and I'm glad you're keeping it going.

I sent seeds saved from my original growouts of all of the ones that Joe Bratka sent me that I was able to germinate and I know I sent BCW and Red Barn and I can't remember which others to Glenn at Sandhill.

If I went on a search mission I know I could find the vials with the seeds for all of them, but doing a search mission here at home for my older seeds I can't do by myself b'c I need two hands to get out the 100 place boxes that have those vials and when one uses a walker the hands are on the walker, so I need help doing that.

I have done it three times already this Spring already, for several folks who really needed a certain variety since the variety has gone south, if you know what I mean.

I should also fess up and say that long ago the organization of those seeds in the boxes went WAY BAD, so it means taking out each and every vial to find something.

Mark0820 · June 14, 2011

Remy, sounds good. I was planning to buy some Carbon seed and few other varieties from your website, so I will add BCW to the list for later this fall.

Carolyn, I do recall you saying you sent seed to Glenn. There has been quite a bit of new growth on the plant since the heavy rainstorm late last week, so I would think I should start to see more blossoms on this new foliage. If I only see one more set of three blossoms, it may indicate a problem. I would guess the plant is at least 3 1/2 ft. tall.

Also, I only planted one plant, so even if it isn't a BCW, it could just be a stray seed in the packet. I would definitely need to plant more seed before I could draw any conclusions as to whether Sandhill's seed is correct or not. That is why I was curious as to what Roper's experience has been.

organichris · June 14, 2011

When I get some ripe fruits, I'm going to post pictures of the tomatoes and the plants, and I would appreciate if those of you familiar with it can tell me whether it looks like the correct one or not.

b54red · June 14, 2011

I also have one that is supposed to be Box Car Willie growing right now but it is fairly late due to the first one dying from herbicide drift and this one is a replant in late April. I also had a Red Barn that got killed at the same time but did not have a replacement; but a friend of mine got a plant from me and his is doing terrific and it is loaded with large fruit. He is going to give me a couple of the best looking fruits from his Red Barn for me to save the seed for next year.

BigBrownDogHouse · June 14, 2011

Red Barn is really one of the varities I want to try next year. I have heard nothing but good stuff about that tomato!

January 13, 2011	#1
Mark0820 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Cincinnati Posts: 907	Real Box Car Willie The last two years, I planted what I thought was Box Car Willie, but I'm not sure it was Box Car Willie. Based on reviews on the Internet, I thought BCW was a tall, indeterminate plant. My plant grew about 3 to 3 1/2 feet. The tomatoes were slightly fluted (in my opinion) and some were kind of pointy on the bottom (not shaped like a heart, but the bottom wasn't flat. They had kind of a roundish bottom with a point.). The production also wasn't very good. Initially, I had 6 tomatoes. Then, I read a review on Dave's Garden that this plant really likes to grow in mud. I started watering it every other day, and it set lots of fruit. However, the plant wasn't sturdy enough to handle the fruit, and it eventually collapsed to the ground in a pile. The taste wasn't very good. Oddly enough they weren't really mushy from all of the water either. I ended up throwing them in the sauce pot. My gut instinct tells me this wasn't Box Car Willie, but really have no idea. I contacted the person I purchased the seed from, and they said they got their seed from Totally Tomatoes. Can someone tell me what a Box Car Willie plant and tomato should be like?

January 13, 2011	#2
roper2008 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Virginia Bch, VA (7b) Posts: 1,337	Box Car Willie I didn't get mine from Totally Tomatoes. Mine was from Heirloom Seeds, but I think I got the right tomato, and if I didn't I should have saved seeds because that was a good tomato. I will be ordering new seeds from sandhill. I'm waiting for them to update their website.

January 13, 2011	#5
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	I went to my old yearbooks to see what I said when I first listed Box Car Willie in the 1994 SSE Yearbook. Back then I wasn't as verbose as I am now, that comes with advanced age. 75-85 days, large indet, regular foliage, prolific set of 8-12 oz globes, excl taste, from Joe Bratka, NJ, O.S. NY MA C I should have said oblate fruits but did so in my description above. O.S. means original source and that was me as first listing it, and NY MA C is my SSE code name as in NY, my state, MA, first two letters of my last name and C, first letter of my first name. __________________ Carolyn

June 14, 2011	#10
remy Buffalo-Niagara Tomato TasteFest™ Coordinator Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Z6 WNY Posts: 2,354	Carolyn sent me seeds a few years back, and I grew them(2007?) Definitely different than others floating around out there. I sent seeds out to quite a few people in trade and sales so anyone who got them from me does have the correct tomato. I'm growing it again this year since it still seems like you and others are still getting incorrect seed. Remy __________________ "I wake to sleep and take my waking slow" -Theodore Roethke Yes, we have a great party for WNY/Ontario tomato growers every year on Grand Island! Owner of The Sample Seed Shop

January 13, 2011	#4
Fusion_power Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,250	Both the OP's description and the photo of the tomato on the cutting board are incorrect for Box Car Willie. The original description because neither fruit nor plant description are correct and the photo because the tomato is much larger than Box Car Willie normally gets. It should be a very good flavored red oblate tomato that rarely gets over 1 pound with most in the 12 ounce to 1 pound range. DarJones

January 13, 2011	#7
barkeater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NE Kingdom, VT - Zone 3b Posts: 1,439	I remember about 5 years ago a lot of us got Box Car Willie from Totally Tomatoes which I think got nicknamed Faux Willie because it wasn't. However, whatever it was it was good! it was a large beefsteak with kind of a rough top; I still have seeds and have thought about growing it again. The next year I think carolyn sent me seeds of the real BCW and it was a uniform red tomato similar and slightly bigger, earlier, but not quite as productive as Red Brandywine. At least that's how I remember it. There may be a thread about it here but it might have been back in the GW days.

June 13, 2011	#9
organichris Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 630	I didn't intend on growing Box Car Willie, but I saw some Ferry-Morse seeds in the nursery and couldn't very well resist. I actually have a few BCW plants, but only one of them is producing in this heat. Haven't had any ripe yet.

June 14, 2011	#14
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	I also have one that is supposed to be Box Car Willie growing right now but it is fairly late due to the first one dying from herbicide drift and this one is a replant in late April. I also had a Red Barn that got killed at the same time but did not have a replacement; but a friend of mine got a plant from me and his is doing terrific and it is loaded with large fruit. He is going to give me a couple of the best looking fruits from his Red Barn for me to save the seed for next year.

June 14, 2011	#15
BigBrownDogHouse Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Northern Illinois ZONE 5a...wait now 5b Posts: 906	Red Barn is really one of the varities I want to try next year. I have heard nothing but good stuff about that tomato!