Parallel Tracks to Germany During World War I, many American "Doughboys" traveled the front in French railcars displaying the notice that each car could carry 40 men or eight horses. Therefore, they quickly became known as "forty and eight" railcars. In World War II, "forty and eights" again transported supplies and troops to the front, but they also carried new cargoes. Millions of Holocaust victims were herded into similar railcars on their way to concentration camps. Many Allied prisoners of war (POW) rode to German POW camps in them -- sometimes with as many as 90 men forced into each car. "Forty and eight" railcars carried 168 Allied POWs from Paris to the Buchenwald concentration camp in August 1944. In 2001 the French Railroad Co. (SNCF) donated this restored railcar to the museum. It now serves as a permanent reminder of the hardships and the sacrifice endured by so many in the cause of liberty. Click here to return to the Holocaust Exhibit Overview. Find Out More Related Fact Sheets French "Forty and Eight" Railroad Car Note: The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the National Museum of the USAF, the U.S. Air Force, or the Department of Defense, of the external website, or the information, products or services contained therein.