MDAH Completes Upgrades to Mississippi’s Merci Train

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History has completed the restoration of the state’s Merci Train, a post-World War II gift from France.

Tucked behind the Old Capitol Museum and the GM&O Train Depot, the gray boxcar is one of MDAH’s tourist attractions. The recent upgrades to the Merci Train include a fresh coat of paint, structural reinforcement and the attachment of replica plaques.

The boxcar serves as an act of diplomacy. In 1947, as Europe was recovering from World War II, American journalist Drew Pearson launched an effort to bolster rehabilitation efforts in France and Germany. Over 700 railroad cars were sent from the United States and arrived in Europe in December 1947.

As a token of appreciation, France launched the French Merci Train – boxcars filled with personal donations from the country and decorated with placards of the coats of arms of all the provinces of France. The boxcars were sent to U.S. states and Washington, D.C.

Mississippi’s boxcar arrived in Meridian in 1949. MDAH received 40 objects from the Merci Train, which are still in permanent collection.

"We are excited to be able to restore the Merci Train to its post-World War II design,” said MDAH Museum Division Director Cindy Gardner. “The boxcar will be a great place to rest along the Mississippi Museum Trail.”

The Merci Train is open to the public year-round, from dawn to dusk.

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