40 hommes et 8 chevaux- French Boxcars to USA

[samfp1943]

To all: A Happy 4th of July!

A special time for America- Independence Day.  And an appropriate time to mention a little known chapter in American history.

In the aftermath of World War II. Europe was in desperate condition . American were concerned and were motivated by a Washington newspaper columnist Drew Pearson who put forward an ides to collect relief supplies for Europe.Inspired by Pearson's idea of a Friendship Train, newspapers all across the country joined in the effort and over forty million dollars worth of supplies were collected to send to France.  Seven hundred boxcars of food, fuel, medicine, and clothing left on a ship from New York City and arrived in France on December 18, 1947

http://www.ameshistoricalsociety.org/exhibits/events/friendship_train.htm

From France to Italy and many countries in Europe, that had been devistated by the carnage of WWII.

A grateful Europe Reciprocated by sending back to America the MERCI TRAIN. It was a train of French railroad boxcars; one to each state and one shared by the District of Columbia and the Territory of Haweaii.  The boxcars were the ubiquitous 40x8 (40 hommes et 8 chevaux) they were called 40x8 because being roughly half the size of the American Boxcar of the time they could load 40 troops or 8 horses.

photo from this link: http://www.themetrains.com/merci-train-main.htm

In this time of International and National turmoil, I think some times we need to know who we 0are and where we have been.

In this day and time US and European relations seem pretty rock, at best. So this is a window in to an era when Nations had to cooperate to survive and continue on.

[ These trains are separate from the 1947/49 American Freedom Train (aka Preamble Express)  and its more recent 1975/76 American Freedom Train)

Hope all have a great Independence Day and Be Safe!

[AgentKid]

Thank you very much. Excellent articles and pictures.

It is interesting that the cars are not all identical. It does reflect the variation in build dates, and that they were the ones available at that point in time to be sent to the US.

It was very nice to see that so many of them survive.

Bruce

 

[CShaveRR]

Michigan's car was converted into a parade float, with a faux-steam locomotive in front.  It used to bring up the rear of the Coast Guard Festival parade in Grand Haven every year.  Soldiers (I presume they were World War II vets) would be on board, tossing candy out to the kids along the parade route.  Then, diabolically, when the kids couldn't put their hands up to their ears, they'd fire off the miniature cannon on the roof of the car.  Somewhere on the entire contraption were C&O logos, so they could have been old railroad vets.  The table shows the car as being in Lansing, but it was nice for it to be able to tour the state, even if the significance was lost to my generation at the time.

[samfp1943]

Carl:

        The aspect that you mentioned converting the Michigan car to a parade float, rung a bell in my head--louder than the normal ringing.

         While growing up in Memphis,Tn. I can remember driving past the Police/Fire shops and parking lot on Adam St.    For quite some time, I remember seeing a little train kept there.  It resembled a small 0-40- and was pulling what resembled ( I learned later) a small foreign looking boxcar on 4 wheels.      One of the signs was a square that said; 40men/8 horses, and words in french [40 hommes et 8 chevaux] also was an American Legion Logo. So apparently it was used by the American legion in Memphis as a parade float.

       this is a link to a good photo of a 40x8 French Boxcar of the kind sent in gratitude to America as part of the French 'Merci Train'.

http://www.skylighters.org/encyclopedia/fortyandeight.html

     Reading about this effort from the USA to Europe of the spontaneous gift of 800 boxcars of emergency food, and supplies to Europe  [Those were American Boxcars-roughly twice the size of their French versions (narrow gauge(?).] Also, a monetary value of $40 Million Dollars for goods and money  raised. 

     These emergency supplies were sent also to Italy, and then disbursed to other countries all over Europe.

    The reciprocation was the ' Merci Train'   49 French Boxcars filed with all sorts of gifts of gratitude. One Car to each State, and one split between the District of Columbia and the Territory of Hawaii.

    In each state there was an effort made to preserve some of the gifts for posterity. They were saved in State Museums all over. The 40x8 Boixcars were apparently taken ver to be cared for by a segment of the American Legion an adjunct group who have take the roll of caretakers to the Merci Train's cars {La Societe des Quarante Hommes at Huit Chevaux}.

This link is to the Nevada State Railroad Museum and covers the renovation of the car in their custody. http://www.nsrm-friends.org/nsrm56.html

  Apparently there are only about 39 or 40 of the original 49 boxcars are still in existence.

A really interesting part of American history that seems to be slipping into the shadows of the History we study, and can be very proud of.

 

[Ishmael]

Interesting coincidence, 40 men and 8 horses equal 48. In 1947 we had 48 states.

Of course, the cars for Washington D.C. and Hawaii fouls up the equation. Also, it is 40 men or 8 horses, not 40 and 8.

[ButchKnouse]

There is a forty and eight on display at the South Dakota State Fairgrounds in Huron. There's also a tank engine across the street.

[samfp1943]

ButchKnouse

There is a forty and eight on display at the South Dakota State Fairgrounds in Huron. There's also a tank engine across the street.

Butch Knouse:

                                Not sure how many on this Forum are interested in this little corner of our History, but I find it intersting that after 70/80 years these cars are still present and  that they represent a reminder of the some of the good will generated by Europe's appreciation for the American efforts in "The War to End All Wars" WWI.

THis linked site :    http://www.mercitrain.org/   contains a link to a list of all the existing Merci Train Boxcars and some have pictures of the cars as they are located in the states in which the French gifts were destined.

There is an adjunct group in the American legion which was started in the 1920's which was originally, apparently, a group of WWI Veterans i the American legion which came together to be a Caretaker group for the original 'Merci Train' 40&8 boxcars.. It still exists as :La Societe des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux, and has shifted its emphasis to scholarship and children's charity work.. Most of the Boxcars seem to have wound up on exhibition as monuments in various parks around the Country. 

Not really sure what the details of that last part of the story are. Maybe there is some poster here who can fill in the details?

[tree68]

The Legion posts on both sides of the border here have an annual Goodwill Day celebration.  It alternates between Canada and the US and rotates among three sites on each side of the river. 

While my kids were in HS band I helped chaperone them to five of those parades.  It's common for the chapters/posts/voitures to bring with them a faux steam locomotive.

The organization was formed in 1920.

[Deggesty]

I remember seeing one of these on the grounds of the old State Capitol in Baton Rouge fifty and eight years ago, when I spent two months with my brother and his wife and son. I think it was still there forty and eight years ago, but I do not remember noticing it. The last few times I was in Baton Rouge (I was last there a year ago, to visit my sister-in-law), I had no occasion to go by there, so I do not know if it is still there.

[daveklepper]

Not narrow gauge.   Stndard gauge.   Until wll-past WWII most European frreight cars were four-wheel cars about half the size of a standard 4oft USA boxcar.   Some are still in use.

[DMUinCT]

This year, MTH Electric Trains has issued a model of a U.S. 40 foot NYC Box Car, painted white and decorated as in 1947 with the "Friendship Train" logo, 3 flags, and the "Vive La France" , "Viva L' Italia" script.

It is in both "O Gauge" and "G Gauge".  I have the large "G" (1/32nd scale) size avalible only to MTH Club members.

[samfp1943]

Interesting, DON !

                             The 'Friendship Train', the one promoted by Drew Pearson was an immense success as it gathered ( As originally posted) some 800 rail cars of supplies to send to Europe to help with recovery from WWII. Also collected were monies to the tune of some $40 Million dollars.

                           All the donations were loaded on the ore carrier 'Magellan' at New York for tans-shipment to Europe, where the cargo was unloaded and placed in rail and truck convoys for disbursement in many locations across Europe. It was the 'Merci Train' and its cars and contents that were loaded back on the freighter Magellan for the trip back to the USA.

[ I had noted that the cars were of Narrow Gauge, due to the fact that that was what was mentioned in the sites  about the Merci Train. From New York. The French cars were loaded on various flat cars for disbursement to the States of receipt of their cargos of gifts. Their loading on American fl;at cars was due to the French cars incompatibility with AAR equipment here.].

   I t is interesting to note that these reciprocal; efforts between America and Europe are not completely lost, but are to be honored by the production of a model American car  to pay honors to the 'Friendship Train' by MTH Model Club.  They are to be congratulated!   [ Even if the original trains were utilizing ordinary boxcars, only in some cases marked  temporarity,banners and signs(?).]