Model Railroading > Jailbox cars?

The discussion on the FEMA-MAX cars a couple threads down got me thinking about the old Jailbox cars I remember seeing advertisements for quite some time ago, like early 1980s....I seem to remember a standard 40-foot boxcar painted up in the "Railbox" yellow scheme, but with "Jailbox" lettering, and paradodies on some of the slogans on the car, like "Next Time Any Crime" instead of "Next Load Any Road"...barred sliding doors, a couple barred windows cut into the sides of the car, and a complete jail cell interior featuring a couple prisoners... 

Anyone else remember these cars, or better yet, does anyone still have one?

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV

Yes, I remember those. Never bought any but got a laugh from the advertisements!

Mike

Posted from Android

I think Walthers made that.

In a different vein, remember the precast cell blocks that were hauled by rail? I think there were some photos on Trainorders some years ago.

There's always SP's "jail cars". Harriman coaches with bars on the windows. Used to take illegal aliens back to Mexico and to transport prisoners to/from Alcatraz.

Those pre-cast jailboxes were used to build the Corrections Corporation of America's private prison at California City, just east of Mojave. I think the units were trucked in.
Now big buses are used by the state, LA County Sheriff, and other agencies to haul inmates to the state prison in Cumings Valley above Tehachapi.
When I was the local Constable I used to transport prisoners from Mojave to the main jail in Bakersfield. Never heard so many sad stories (of mostly self-inflicted stupirity!) in my life!

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

Walthers produced the Jailbox cars at a time when it didn't market prototype models, but did offer those plus the Piker and the Oscar -- two single-truck passenger cars.

Another place where pre-cast cell block components once appeared was on Conrail heading east into Massachusetts in the early 1990s.
 

There is a photo of a train load of the pre-cast cells in Trains magazine's Heavy Hauls special issue on news stands now.

Jay

wabash2800 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In a different vein, remember the precast cell
> blocks that were hauled by rail? I think there
> were some photos on Trainorders some years ago.

Posted from Android

There is a pre-stressed / pre-cast plant on the near southside on Atlanta that makes jail blocks from time-to-time. They are on the NS mainline and are typically shipped via rail in bulkhead flat cars.

Russ

Posted from Android