Promotional keychain, Ferrocarriles de Cuba — División Occidente

Object/Artifact

-

Archive of Cuban Socialism

Name/Title

Promotional keychain, Ferrocarriles de Cuba — División Occidente

Entry/Object ID

2025.1.66

Description

A rectangular cast-metal keychain fob with rounded corners on a link chain (the split ring is now missing, leaving the chain's end loop open). The front is die-cast in low relief: a stylized monogram of interlocked letters reading "FC" (for Ferrocarriles) formed as two facing locomotive/rolling-stock shapes on wheels, with a small decorative scroll above, over the lettering "MÁQUINAS / FERROCARRILES DE CUBA / DIVISIÓN OCCIDENTE" ("Locomotives / Railways of Cuba / Western Division"). The reverse is plain but for raised lettering: "VIAJE MÁS CONFORTABLE POR FERROCARRIL" ("Travel more comfortably by rail"). The metal is worn with greenish surface corrosion.

Use

Kept by Leopoldo Arús Caraballo

Collection

The Cabrera Arús family collection

Acquisition

Accession

2025.1

Made/Created

Notes

MAKER: Issued by/for Ferrocarriles de Cuba (the Cuban national railways), División Occidente (Western Division), as a promotional item. The keychain's actual manufacturer (a medal/badge maker) is not marked. DATE / PERIOD: Not dated on the object; 20th century, Cuban. "Ferrocarriles de Cuba" as a unified national railway framing and the "División Occidente" administrative naming point to the post-1959 nationalized railway era; a date from roughly the 1960s–1980s is a reasonable estimate, hedged.

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Transcription

MITRANS. Ferrocarriles de Cuba. Divisiones Occidente. Viaje más confortable por ferrocarril.

Notes

Front (Spanish): "MÁQUINAS / FERROCARRILES DE CUBA / DIVISIÓN OCCIDENTE" ("Locomotives / Railways of Cuba / Western Division"), with an interlocked "FC" locomotive monogram. Reverse (Spanish): "VIAJE MÁS CONFORTABLE POR FERROCARRIL" ("Travel more comfortably by rail"). Languages: Spanish.

Materials

Material

Metal

Material Notes

MATERIALS: Cast metal (a pewter/white-metal or zinc alloy) fob; metal link chain. Greenish corrosion suggests a copper-bearing alloy or surface contamination. TECHNIQUES: Die-cast or die-struck metal fob with relief lettering and monogram on the front and raised slogan on the reverse; integral loop attached to a link chain.

Condition

Overall Condition

Fair

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Leopoldo Arús Caraballo

Notes

owner

Related Places

Place

City

Havana

Country

Cuba

Region

Caribbean, Central America

Notes

use, issuance

Research Notes

Notes

This is an institutional advertising keychain for the Cuban national railways, Ferrocarriles de Cuba, specifically its División Occidente (Western Division, the Havana-centered network of the western part of the island). It pairs a corporate identity element — the "MÁQUINAS" (locomotives) heading and an interlocked "FC" monogram styled as facing engines — with a customer-facing promotional slogan on the back, "Viaje más confortable por ferrocarril" ("Travel more comfortably by rail"), encouraging rail travel. The unified "Ferrocarriles de Cuba" branding and divisional administrative naming are consistent with the nationalized railway of the post-1959 period, which is the basis for the suggested 1960s–1980s date.

Created By

María A. Cabrera Arús

Create Date

October 7, 2025

Updated By

María A. Cabrera Arús

Update Date

June 18, 2026