The 40-et-8 box car was a standard European box car made in France and used during World War I and World War II. During both wars, it transported 40 soldiers or 8 mules or horses around Europe. After World War II, the French people donated one car to each state, plus one to be shared by the District of Columbia and Hawaii. The boxcars were filled with items of appreciation that may have included crafts, food, art, and gift items. In 1949, the cars were presented to each of the states. The 40-et-8 was given to the Kentucky Railway Museum in 1958. Between 1997 and 2001, the Nelson County Vocational School in Bardstown, Kentucky, restored the car to its original state under the supervision of Mr. Chris VerDow. The plaques displayed on each side of the boxcar represent the provinces of France. The car was returned to the Kentucky Railway Museum in May 2001, where it is on display. Funding for the restoration project was provided in part by the Kentucky Order of Colonels and the 40-et-8 Society of Elizabethtown.