Merci Train
Encyclopedia
The Merci Train, also known as the French Gratitude Train or the Forty and Eight, was the 1949 Europe-US response to the Friendship Train
. Composed of 49 cars and filled with "gifts of gratitude", the Merci Train arrived in New York City on February 3, 1949 and was divided amongst the 48 states with the remaining car to be shared by the District of Columbia and Hawaii
.
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 Honor Medal proponent to have belonged to Napoleon.
4-wheel covered goods wagon
s used as military transport cars. 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 then in existence and one for Washington, D.C.
and Hawaii
to share) laden with various treasures, as a gift 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 American Friendship Train
sent by the American people to France in 1947.
The Train and all 49 cars arrived aboard the Magellan bearing a banner which read: "MERCI AMERICA" on February 3, 1949 with over 25,000 onlookers in attendance. Immediately the trains were distributed amongst the states.
Currently, 43 of the 49 boxcars are still in existence. The state boxcars of Massachusetts, Illinois, Nebraska, Connecticut, and New Jersey are known to have been destroyed, and the Colorado boxcar has been missing since 1954, and its current whereabouts remain unknown. The remainder of the boxcars are displayed at various parks and museums in their respective states, such locations include:
Friendship Train
The 1947 U.S.-to-Europe or American Friendship Train collected foodstuffs from American donors for transport to the people of France and Italy. Contemporaneous with the Marshall Plan, it provided desperately needed assistance in the aftermath of World War II, but was primarily a token gesture of...
. Composed of 49 cars and filled with "gifts of gratitude", the Merci Train arrived in New York City on February 3, 1949 and was divided amongst the 48 states with the remaining car to be shared by the District of Columbia and Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
.
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 IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
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 Honor Medal proponent to have belonged to Napoleon.
The "Forty-and-eight" Boxcars
Forty-and-eights were FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
4-wheel covered goods wagon
Covered goods wagon
A covered goods wagon or van is a railway goods wagon which is designed for the transportation of moisture-susceptible goods and therefore fully enclosed by sides and a fixed roof. They are often referred to simply as covered wagons, and this is the term used by the International Union of Railways...
s used as military transport cars. 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
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
occupation in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and finally by the Allied liberators.
In 1949, France sent 49 of those boxcars to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(one for each State then in existence and one for Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
to share) laden with various treasures, as a gift for the liberation of France. This train was called the Merci Train
Merci Train
The Merci Train, also known as the French Gratitude Train or the Forty and Eight, was the 1949 Europe-US response to the Friendship Train...
, and was sent in response to trains full (over 700 boxcars) of supplies known as the American Friendship Train
Friendship Train
The 1947 U.S.-to-Europe or American Friendship Train collected foodstuffs from American donors for transport to the people of France and Italy. Contemporaneous with the Marshall Plan, it provided desperately needed assistance in the aftermath of World War II, but was primarily a token gesture of...
sent by the American people to France in 1947.
The Train and all 49 cars arrived aboard the Magellan bearing a banner which read: "MERCI AMERICA" on February 3, 1949 with over 25,000 onlookers in attendance. Immediately the trains were distributed amongst the states.
Current Status of Boxcars
Many of the trains were opened and turned into exhibits before distributing the objects as each state saw fit. Most states continued to exhibit the boxcars to the public after their gifts were distributed.Currently, 43 of the 49 boxcars are still in existence. The state boxcars of Massachusetts, Illinois, Nebraska, Connecticut, and New Jersey are known to have been destroyed, and the Colorado boxcar has been missing since 1954, and its current whereabouts remain unknown. The remainder of the boxcars are displayed at various parks and museums in their respective states, such locations include:
| Florida | Holly Hill, Florida Holly Hill, Florida Holly Hill is a city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. The population was 12,119 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 12,586... |
1065 Ridgewood Av US1 by City Hall |
| Ohio | Camp Perry Camp Perry Camp Perry is a National Guard training facility located on the shore of Lake Erie in northern Ohio near Port Clinton. In addition to its regular mission as a military training base, Camp Perry also boasts the largest outdoor rifle range in the world... |
Several of the gifts are now housed at the Ohio Historical Society Ohio Historical Society The Ohio Historical Society is a non-profit organization incorporated in 1885 as The Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society "to promote a knowledge of archaeology and history, especially in Ohio"... . |
| Georgia | Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History is a museum in Kennesaw, Georgia, that contains a collection of artifacts and relics from the American Civil War, as well as from railroads of the state of Georgia and surrounding regions... |
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| Kentucky | Kentucky Railway Museum Kentucky Railway Museum The Kentucky Railway Museum, located in New Haven, Kentucky, United States, is a non-profit railroad museum dedicated to educating the public regarding the history and heritage of Kentucky's railroads and the people who built them. Originally created in 1954 in Louisville, Kentucky, the museum is... |
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| Pennsylvania | Fort Indiantown Gap Fort Indiantown Gap Fort Indiantown Gap, also referred to as "The Gap" or "FIG", is a census-designated place and U.S. Army post primarily located in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. A portion of the installation is located in eastern Dauphin County... |
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| Maryland | B&O Railroad Museum B&O Railroad Museum The B&O Railroad Museum is a museum exhibiting historic railroad equipment in Baltimore, Maryland, originally named the Baltimore & Ohio Transportation Museum when it opened on July 4, 1953. It has been called one of the most significant collections of railroad treasures in the world and has the... |
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| Hawaii and District of Columbia | Hawaiian Railway Society Hawaiian Railway The Hawaiian Railway' Society is a heritage railroad located in Ewa, Hawaii, USA.In 1970 two important events took place. First, Waialua Agricultural Co. announced that they planned to scrap their 0-6-2T locomotive No. 6 because rust and deterioration had reduced the engine to an unsightly... |
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| Wisconsin | National Railroad Museum National Railroad Museum The National Railroad Museum is a railroad museum located in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, in suburban Green Bay.The museum is one of the oldest institutions in the United States dedicated to preserving and interpreting the nation's railroad history. It was founded in 1956 by community volunteers in... |
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| Utah | Utah State Railroad Museum | |
| Alabama | Veterans Memorial Museum | website |
| Washington | Sarg Hubbard Park | website |
| Maine | Boothbay Railway Village | website |
| Nevada | Nevada State Railroad Museum Nevada State Railroad Museum Nevada Southern Railway is a railroad museum in Boulder City, Nevada operated by the Nevada State Railroad Museum which is an agency of the Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs.... |
website |
| Arizona | McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park is a railroad park located in Scottsdale, Arizona. It features a 15" gauge railroad, a Magma Arizona Railroad locomotive, a railroad museum, three model railroad clubs and a 7.5" gauge live steam railroad... |
website |