The restoration of New Jersey’s “Merci Train” boxcar, an artifact rediscovered in a warehouse in 2024, started in Boonton, N.J., over the weekend. The kickoff coincided with the United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey’s annual Railroad Museum [For a Day] event 

The “Merci Train” consisted of 49 boxcars from France, gifted to the United States as a thank-you for the country’s aid during World War II. These cars, built in the 1890s and previously used to transport troops in World War I, were filled with gifts from French citizens. The 49 boxcars—one for each state, plus the then-Territory of Hawaii—were shipped to New York Harbor in 1949 and unloaded at Weehawken, N.J., before being distributed across the country. New Jersey’s car was taken to Trenton, where it was officially presented to the state at a ceremony that drew over 20,000 attendees

After the car was unloaded, it was entrusted to the American Legion to serve as a monument and exhibit. However, by 1958, the car’s whereabouts were unknown, and historians believed it was lost forever. In 1993, a similar boxcar was found in a field in Tennessee by the National World War I Museum and Memorial. The owner planned to scrap it, but the WWI museum rescued it and stored it in Kansas City, where it stayed for the next 30 years. In 2024, the WWI museum curator, Dr. Chris Juergens, aimed to uncover the boxcar’s history with help from Merci Train historian David Knutson 

“Purely by accident, I saw pictures of an old boxcar posted on Facebook and was able to determine it was New Jersey’s missing boxcar,” Knutson said. “When I realized the Museum and Memorial actually had the car in their possession, I was thrilled. Now, thanks to URHS, it will return to New Jersey and be properly restored for future generations to appreciate.”

Earlier this year, URHS acquired the car and relocated it to New Jersey, where it is currently being restored. URHS Executive Director Kevin Phalon said a complete evaluation will need to be done, but early inspections show that about one-half to three-quarters of the car’s sideboards can be salvaged, as well as most of the metal. The roof and floor will need to be completely replaced. The car has road tires, something it received when it arrived in the United States, and Phalon said those will remain. 

“The Merci train is a unique symbol of international friendship, gratitude, and the enduring legacy of those who served in the World Wars,” Phalon said. “The story of how it got from France to America and then to New Jersey is nothing short of miraculous.”

For more information, visit URHS.org/MerciTrain.

—Railfan & Railroad Staff