# Merci Train

The French Gratitude Train (French: Train de la Reconnaissance française), commonly referred to as the Merci Train, were 49 World War I era "forty and eight" boxcars gifted to the United States by France in response to the 1947 U.S. Friendship Train. It arrived in Weehawken, New Jersey on February 2, 1949.

## Background

The idea to send a "thank you" gift to the United States for the $40 million in food and other supplies sent to France and Italy in 1947 came from a French railroad worker, and World War II veteran, named Andre Picard. Donations from the Merci Train came from over six million citizens of France and Italy in the form of dolls, statues, clothes, ornamental objects, furniture, and even a Legion of Honour medal purported to have belonged to Napoleon.

## History

The boxcars were "forty-and-eights" used during both world wars. The term refers to the cars' carrying capacity, said to be 40 men or eight horses. Built starting in the 1870s as regular freight boxcars, they were originally used in military service by the French army in both World Wars, and then later used by the German occupation in World War II and finally by the Allied liberators.
In 1949, France sent 49 of those boxcars to the United States (one for each state and the Territory of Hawaii) laden with various treasures, as a show of gratitude for the liberation of France. This train was called the Merci Train, and was sent in response to trains full (over 700 boxcars) of supplies known as the Friendship Train sent by the American people to France in 1947. Each of the Merci Train boxcars carried five tons of gifts, all of which were donated by private citizens.
The Train and all 49 cars arrived aboard the Magellan on February 2, 1949, with over 25,000 onlookers in attendance. On the side of the gift-laden French freighter was painted, "MERCI AMERICA". Immediately the trains were distributed amongst the states.

## Boxcars

The Merci Train boxcars were opened and turned into travelling exhibits before each state committee distributed the entire contents. The 43 surviving boxcars are on public display within each state as follows:
| Boxcar | Location | City or town | Notes |
| Alabama | U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum 34°41′31″N 86°35′10″W﻿ / ﻿34.692051°N 86.586194°W﻿ / 34.692051; -86.586194﻿ (Alabama Merci Train Boxcar) | Huntsville | The Alabama State Archives has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| Arizona | McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park 33°32′15″N 111°55′24″W﻿ / ﻿33.537500°N 111.923333°W﻿ / 33.537500; -111.923333﻿ (Arizona Merci Train Boxcar) | Scottsdale | The Arizona Capitol Museum has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| Arkansas | American Legion Post 41 34°31′39″N 90°35′18″W﻿ / ﻿34.527528°N 90.588361°W﻿ / 34.527528; -90.588361﻿ (Arkansas Merci Train Boxcar) | Helena–West Helena | The Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| California | American Legion Post 509 36°46′56″N 119°46′22″W﻿ / ﻿36.782337°N 119.772787°W﻿ / 36.782337; -119.772787﻿ (California Merci Train Boxcar) | Fresno | |
| Colorado | Unknown | | Car has been lost. The Woodruff Memorial Library has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| Connecticut | Destroyed | | The Abbey of Regina Laudis was gifted a French church bell from the boxcar. |
| Delaware | American Legion Post 6 38°38′39″N 75°36′33″W﻿ / ﻿38.644101°N 75.609211°W﻿ / 38.644101; -75.609211﻿ (Delaware Merci Train Boxcar) | Seaford | Owned and maintained by Forty and Eight Voiture 1320 of Sussex County |
| Florida | Holly Hill City Hall 29°14′40″N 81°02′25″W﻿ / ﻿29.244416°N 81.040179°W﻿ / 29.244416; -81.040179﻿ (Florida Merci Train Boxcar) | Holly Hill | The city hall has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| Georgia | Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History 34°01′26″N 84°36′52″W﻿ / ﻿34.024000°N 84.614400°W﻿ / 34.024000; -84.614400﻿ (Georgia Merci Train Boxcar) | Kennesaw | The Georgia State Archives has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| Idaho | Old Idaho State Penitentiary 43°36′10″N 116°09′43″W﻿ / ﻿43.602700°N 116.162000°W﻿ / 43.602700; -116.162000﻿ (Idaho Merci Train Boxcar) | Boise | The Idaho Historical Society has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| Illinois | Unknown | | Possibly abandoned and destroyed at the old 1948-1949 Chicago Railroad Fair site. |
| Indiana | Veterans National Memorial Shrine and Museum 41°05′36″N 85°14′46″W﻿ / ﻿41.093330°N 85.246208°W﻿ / 41.093330; -85.246208﻿ (Indiana Merci Train Boxcar) | Fort Wayne | The Fort Wayne History Center has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| Iowa | Antique Acres 42°36′35″N 92°27′27″W﻿ / ﻿42.609824°N 92.457628°W﻿ / 42.609824; -92.457628﻿ (Iowa Merci Train Boxcar) | Cedar Falls | The Iowa Historical Society has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| Kansas | Veterans Memorial Park 38°52′19″N 99°18′03″W﻿ / ﻿38.872050°N 99.300760°W﻿ / 38.872050; -99.300760﻿ (Kansas Merci Train Boxcar) | Hays | Owned and maintained by Forty and Eight Voiture 1543 of Ellis County |
| Kentucky | Kentucky Railway Museum 37°39′26″N 85°35′36″W﻿ / ﻿37.657103°N 85.593405°W﻿ / 37.657103; -85.593405﻿ (Kentucky Merci Train Boxcar) | New Haven | The Kentucky Historical Society has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| Louisiana | Old Louisiana State Capitol 30°26′49″N 91°11′20″W﻿ / ﻿30.446881°N 91.188861°W﻿ / 30.446881; -91.188861﻿ (Louisiana Merci Train Boxcar) | Baton Rouge | |
| Maine | Railway Village Museum 43°54′11″N 69°37′18″W﻿ / ﻿43.902926°N 69.621776°W﻿ / 43.902926; -69.621776﻿ (Maine Merci Train Boxcar) | Boothbay | The Maine State Museum has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| Maryland | B&O Railroad Museum 39°17′08″N 76°37′57″W﻿ / ﻿39.285509°N 76.632619°W﻿ / 39.285509; -76.632619﻿ (Maryland Merci Train Boxcar) | Baltimore | The Montgomery County Historical Society has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| Massachusetts | Destroyed | | scrapped in the 1960s |
| Michigan | American Legion Post 183 42°40′04″N 84°36′25″W﻿ / ﻿42.667663°N 84.606928°W﻿ / 42.667663; -84.606928﻿ (Michigan Merci Train Boxcar) | Lansing | Owned and maintained by Forty and Eight Voiture 946 of Eaton County. |
| Minnesota | Minnesota Military Museum 46°04′52″N 94°20′49″W﻿ / ﻿46.081073°N 94.347034°W﻿ / 46.081073; -94.347034﻿ (Minnesota Merci Train Boxcar) | Little Falls | Owned and maintained by Forty and Eight Grand Voiture du Minnesota. |
| Mississippi | Old GM&O Depot 32°17′55″N 90°10′45″W﻿ / ﻿32.298546°N 90.179118°W﻿ / 32.298546; -90.179118﻿ (Mississippi Merci Train Boxcar) | Jackson | The Museum of Mississippi History has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| Missouri | Dakotaland Museum 38°41′30″N 93°15′33″W﻿ / ﻿38.691700°N 93.259033°W﻿ / 38.691700; -93.259033﻿ (Missouri Merci Train Boxcar) | Sedalia | Owned and maintained by Forty and Eight Voiture 333 of Pettis County. |
| Montana | Montana Military Museum 46°37′21″N 112°05′51″W﻿ / ﻿46.622532°N 112.097600°W﻿ / 46.622532; -112.097600﻿ (Montana Merci Train Boxcar) | Fort Harrison | The Montana Historical Society has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| Nebraska | Destroyed | | partially scrapped in 1951, remainder converted to shed and destroyed in 1961. The Nebraska Historical Society has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| Nevada | Nevada State Railroad Museum Boulder City 35°58′13″N 114°51′25″W﻿ / ﻿35.970306°N 114.856810°W﻿ / 35.970306; -114.856810﻿ (Nevada Merci Train Boxar) | Boulder City | The Nevada State Museum has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| New Hampshire | 126 Reed St. 42°59′48″N 71°28′56″W﻿ / ﻿42.996633°N 71.482133°W﻿ / 42.996633; -71.482133﻿ (New Hampshire Merci Train Boxar) | Manchester | Saint Anselm College has a collection of gifts from the boxcar. |
| New Jersey | Destroyed | | The New Jersey Museum has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| New Mexico | Expo New Mexico 35°04′50″N 106°34′14″W﻿ / ﻿35.080554°N 106.570564°W﻿ / 35.080554; -106.570564﻿ (New Mexico Merci Train Boxcar) | Albuquerque | The fair grounds has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| New York | Forty and Eight Voiture 92 43°06′41″N 75°20′48″W﻿ / ﻿43.11138°N 75.346719°W﻿ / 43.11138; -75.346719﻿ (New York Merci Train Boxcar) | Whitesboro | The Met has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| North Carolina | North Carolina Transportation Museum 35°41′15″N 80°26′00″W﻿ / ﻿35.687539°N 80.433338°W﻿ / 35.687539; -80.433338﻿ (North Carolina Merci Train Boxcar) | Spencer | The North Carolina History Museum has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| North Dakota | North Dakota Heritage Center 46°49′06″N 100°46′48″W﻿ / ﻿46.818435°N 100.779894°W﻿ / 46.818435; -100.779894﻿ (North Dakota Merci Train Boxcar) | Bismarck | The North Dakota Historical Society has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| Ohio | Camp Perry 41°32′33″N 83°01′13″W﻿ / ﻿41.542523°N 83.020277°W﻿ / 41.542523; -83.020277﻿ (Ohio Merci Train Boxcar) | Near Port Clinton | The Ohio Historical Society has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| Oklahoma | J. D. McCarty Center 35°13′54″N 97°24′35″W﻿ / ﻿35.231790°N 97.409588°W﻿ / 35.231790; -97.409588﻿ (Oklahoma Merci Train Boxcar) | Norman | The Oklahoma History Center has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| Oregon | Simpson Park 43°24′57″N 124°13′28″W﻿ / ﻿43.415892°N 124.224374°W﻿ / 43.415892; -124.224374﻿ (Oregon Merci Train Boxcar) | North Bend | The Benton County Historical Society has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| Pennsylvania | Fort Indiantown Gap 40°25′56″N 76°34′12″W﻿ / ﻿40.432089°N 76.569960°W﻿ / 40.432089; -76.569960﻿ (Pennsylvania Merci Train Boxcar) | Near Jonestown | The Blair County and Lycoming County historical societies have collections of gifts from the boxcar. |
| Rhode Island | Museum of Work and Culture 41°59′57″N 71°30′58″W﻿ / ﻿41.999296°N 71.516107°W﻿ / 41.999296; -71.516107﻿ (Rhode Island Merci Train Boxcar) | Woonsocket | The museum has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| South Carolina | Memorial Park 34°13′10″N 80°14′51″W﻿ / ﻿34.219331°N 80.247577°W﻿ / 34.219331; -80.247577﻿ (South Carolina Merci Train Boxcar) | Bishopville | |
| South Dakota | State Fairgrounds 44°21′48″N 98°13′47″W﻿ / ﻿44.363464°N 98.229703°W﻿ / 44.363464; -98.229703﻿ (South Dakota Merci Train Boxcar) | Huron | The Dakotaland Museum has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| Tennessee | American Legion Post 145 36°35′09″N 82°10′53″W﻿ / ﻿36.585750°N 82.181491°W﻿ / 36.585750; -82.181491﻿ (Tennessee Merci Train Boxcar) | Bristol | The Tennessee State Museum has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| Texas | Texas Military Forces Museum 30°18′50″N 97°45′41″W﻿ / ﻿30.313761°N 97.761278°W﻿ / 30.313761; -97.761278﻿ (Texas Merci Train Boxcar) | Camp Mabry | The Briscoe History Center has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| Utah | Utah State Railroad Museum 41°13′19″N 111°58′45″W﻿ / ﻿41.222013°N 111.979280°W﻿ / 41.222013; -111.979280﻿ (Utah Merci Train Boxcar) | Ogden | |
| Vermont | Vermont National Guard Library and Museum 44°30′02″N 73°09′27″W﻿ / ﻿44.500439°N 73.157397°W﻿ / 44.500439; -73.157397﻿ (Vermont Merci Train Boxcar) | Colchester | The Vermont Historical Society and the Wood Art Gallery have collections of gifts from the boxcar. |
| Virginia | Virginia War Museum 37°01′10″N 76°27′13″W﻿ / ﻿37.019476°N 76.453647°W﻿ / 37.019476; -76.453647﻿ (Virginia Merci Train Boxcar) | Newport News | |
| Washington | Sarg Hubbard Riverside Park 46°36′07″N 120°28′29″W﻿ / ﻿46.601932°N 120.474826°W﻿ / 46.601932; -120.474826﻿ (Washington Merci Train Boxcar) | Yakima | The Karshner Museum has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| West Virginia | Veterans' Park 37°25′06″N 81°35′24″W﻿ / ﻿37.418257°N 81.589946°W﻿ / 37.418257; -81.589946﻿ (West Virginia Merci Train Boxcar) | Welch | Tu-Endie-Wei State Park has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| Wisconsin | National Railroad Museum 44°29′00″N 88°02′53″W﻿ / ﻿44.483306°N 88.048000°W﻿ / 44.483306; -88.048000﻿ (Wisconsin Merci Train Boxcar) | Ashwaubenon | The Hoard Historical Museum and the Wisconsin Historical Society have collections of gifts from the boxcar. |
| Wyoming | American Legion Post 6 41°08′18″N 104°47′38″W﻿ / ﻿41.138219°N 104.793853°W﻿ / 41.138219; -104.793853﻿ (Wyoming Merci Train Boxcar) | Cheyenne | The Wyoming Museum has a collection of French gifts from the boxcar. |
| Territory of Hawaii | Hawaiian Railway Society 21°19′55″N 158°02′46″W﻿ / ﻿21.331897°N 158.046105°W﻿ / 21.331897; -158.046105﻿ (Hawaii Merci Train Boxcar) | Ewa Beach | |