New Jersey Merci Train Boxcar

The NJ Merci Train boxcar has been found, and it is now at the United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey. The New Jersey Questers are doing their best to support it. Kevin Phalon, the director of the society, spoke at the New Jersey Questers Spring Council in April and received a donation from New Jersey Questers for $6100. This paid for new shields and signage for Boxcar and most of the wheel package. Donations for the rest of the wheel package came from chapters, Betsey Mulford Crane #989, in the amount of $695, and Sandpipers#1501, in the amount of $695. The President’s $4640 grant for 2027 was used to finish the 20% needed to fund the conditions assessment, design, development, and construction documents that will allow restoration work to begin as soon as state funding is secured. The total donated from NJ Questers so far: $12,130. Once the society has a list of work left to be done, that list will be given to the other twelve chapter in NJ, so that they can pick the projects they would like to donate to. The hope is that the work will be completed by the end of 2027. The finished boxcar will be a “ Museum on Wheels " traveling around the state ,as part of our history and for use as an educational tool.