Expedition Team: Dave Miller, Nick Kelly
Date: November 21, 2025
Next to the Municipal Building sits a unique WWI era train box car one of 48 donated to the United States by France in response to the 1947 U. S. Friendship Train as the US had sent $40 million in food and supplies. Inside City Hall is a display of many gifts taken from the box car. The box cars were called 40 and 8’s as they carried either 40 men or 8 horses during WWI and WWII.
1. The boxcars were about 15 years younger than WWI.
2. The boxcars were given because Americans (through La Societe Des Quarantes Hommes et Huit Chevaux, US founded by US WWI veterans).
3. The boxcars were K type (covered wagons with shutters). It is likely that the Americans, not being to fully read and understand French, nicknamed them 40&8. Indeed, all rolling stocks not meant to usually carry people had to be stencilled with their potential content in men or horses for times of war (1873 French law).
Thank you, Lexi, for this additional information.