NEW JERSEY’S MERCI TRAIN Boxcar

A Gift from France with a Rich History

Built between 1893 and 1895, the boxcar was used extensively during World War I to transport troops and supplies. Known as a “40 and 8” car for its capacity of either 40 soldiers or 8 horses, these rugged vehicles became enduring symbols of wartime sacrifice.

In Feb 1949, France sent 49 of these boxcars to the United States.  Known as the Gratitude Train or “Merci Train”, it was a truly unique gift of goodwill and gratitude from the people of France.  Each state (along with the then-Territory of Hawaii and District of Columbia who shared the 49th boxcar) received one, filled with thousands of sentimental gifts from French citizens. New Jersey’s car was received with great ceremony in Trenton by Governor Alfred Driscoll, with over 20,000 people in attendance. Many of the artifacts that arrived in the boxcar still exist today in the collections of the New Jersey State Museum and the Newark Museum.

New Jersey’s Unique Role in the Merci Train Story

The story of the 1949 French “Gratitude Train” has been well documented over the decades, as it represents a rare example of a truly nationwide event in railroad history. The gift symbolized the cooperation between nations during and after World War II, the shared experiences of American and European WWI soldiers who had once ridden in these very boxcars, and the deep gratitude of ordinary French citizens for American assistance. The railroads were essential in facilitating these connections, further underscoring their importance in global history.

New Jersey played a special role in this momentous event. It was at the Erie Railroad’s Pier H in Weehawken, NJ, that all 49 boxcars first touched American soil. From there, New Jersey’s boxcar was loaded onto a flatcar and sent to Trenton, where it was paraded through the streets and ceremoniously presented to the state. Governor Alfred Driscoll accepted the gift in front of 20,000 attendees, and the car was later displayed at the New Jersey State Museum before being handed over to New Jersey American Legion and The Society of Forty Men and Eight Horses, Grande Voiture du New Jersey. Today, several of these gifts survive in the collections of the NJ State Museum and The Newark Museum of Art. Shortly after the car’s arrival, the car was modified with tires and used as a parade float throughout the 1950s before its whereabouts became unknown.

Lost and Found

After its ceremonial presentation, New Jersey’s boxcar was entrusted to the New Jersey American Legion and Grand Voiture du New Jersey as a monument and parade float. However, sometime after 1958, its whereabouts were unknown, and researchers believed it had been lost or destroyed.

In 1993, a similar boxcar was discovered in Tennessee by the National World War I Museum and Memorial. Recognizing its importance, the museum saved the car and placed it in storage, though its origins remained a mystery. In 2024, 40 & 8 Historien and MerciTrain.org researcher David Knutson identified the car as New Jersey’s missing Merci Train boxcar, confirming its long-lost identity. Now, thanks to the efforts of the museum, Merci Train historians, and URHS, this treasured piece of history is returning to New Jersey.