City of North Bend release - Historic railcar will become part of North Bend’s growing Visitor Information Center and Community Hub project - NORTH BEND, Ore. — A small French railcar with a big story has a new home in downtown North Bend.  The Oregon Merci Train boxcar has been moved to the North Bend Visitor Information Center at 745 California Ave., near California Avenue and U.S. Highway 101. The boxcar was moved from 1250 Sherman Ave., where it stood near the site of the former Visitor Information Center.  The word “merci” means “thank you” in French. The boxcar is part of the Merci Train, a gift sent from France to the United States after World War II.  After the war, many people in Europe needed food and supplies. Americans helped by sending hundreds of railcars filled with relief goods. In 1949, the people of France responded with 49 boxcars filled with gifts for the American people.  Each of the 48 states at that time received one boxcar. The 49th boxcar was shared by Washington, D.C., and the Territory of Hawaii.  North Bend is home to Oregon’s only Merci Boxcar. The boxcar first came to Oregon in 1949 and was later displayed in other parts of the state before coming to North Bend in 2006.  The railcar is also tied to military history. This type of French boxcar was known as a “Forty and Eight” car because it could carry 40 soldiers or eight horses. Many veterans remembered similar cars from their wartime service.  The boxcar is now covered with a weatherproof protective wrap while work continues at the downtown site. Plans call for a new protective structure and fencing around the display. The boxcar will sit near North Bend’s historic 1937 fire engine.  When the display is complete, the city plans to allow supervised public viewing with staff and volunteers.  The move is part of a larger effort to build the North Bend Community Hub around the Visitor Information Center. The project includes the T-Mobile Plaza, a stage and performance corner, seating, landscaping, public art, accessible walkways, and space for community gatherings.  The city received a $50,000 T-Mobile Hometown Grant for the stage and performance area. North Bend was one of 25 communities selected nationwide during that grant round.  Work is also underway on the Hub Rest Area portion of the project. That area is planned to include an accessible ramp, raised planter walls, green space, a hydration station, an outdoor kiosk and other public improvements.  The lower plaza will include a stage, seat walls and access from both the future parking lot and the Sherman Avenue sidewalk. The space is intended to serve residents and visitors as a downtown gathering place.  The boxcar relocation took careful planning. Partney Construction laid temporary rails to remove the boxcar from its former structure. West Coast Contractors lifted and moved the boxcar. Knife River, HGE Architects, city staff, volunteers and the Forty and Eight veterans organization also helped with the project.  Future walking tours are expected to include the Merci Boxcar, along with other local rail history. The city also plans to work with the Forty and Eight and the Coos History Museum on education and programming.  A dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony will be announced at a later date.  For now, residents and visitors can see the covered boxcar at its new downtown location as construction continues.