I grew up in Long Beach, CA, in the 1980's. Really exciting gas stations. I remember Texaco, Shell, Exxon, Mobil, ARCO, Union 76...back in the 40's, my great uncle owned a Gilmore, and I will do my best to squeeze one on my 1950's layout. I am planning on a dozen or so custom decorated Gilmore tank cars.
Not a gas station but... I discovered a small fleet of prototype tank cars in 1950s period I model with MY INITIALS. H.Earl Clark Co of Havre, Montana, a wholly owned subsidiary of Husky Oil Co. acquired Dec.1, 1954, had 200 wholesale and retail petroleum outlets. Husky also had oil properties in Texas, Louisiana and 5 other states, refinery at Cody, Wyoming, steel plants Omaha & Boise, and leased 400-550 tank cars. This according to Moody's Industrial Manual 1955 p.2209. The April 1954 Official Railway Equipment Register lists the Clack company with 8 TM tank cars, reporting marks KLAX. If I could find a photo, I oughta build me a tankcar with my own initials on it...
Brad is the only person to mention the company I retired from. I went to work in 1963 for Standard Oil Company of Texas (SOTEX) and progressed though 33 years of name changes and consolidations, you know the crap companies do to cut bodies. SOTEX was a wholly owned subsidiary of Standard Oil Company of California (SOCAL). SOCAL did not want their logo plastered all over just anything and through my N Scale years have found it hard to find any SOCAL cars until the past 2-3 years. As you know, Chevron (SOCAL) absorbed Gulf Oil in the late 80's and then Texaco in the late 90's. Those two companies were great mass merchandisers and had their logos plastered everywhere, tastefully and as those companies methods were incorporated I now see a few CPDX tank cars and CHVX hopper cars. A side note, SOCAL took over a company named Naval Oil and Gas many years ago. I have never seen any Naval cars at all. We have seen pressure and non-pressure tanks for Warren Petroleum which became a Chevron Company when Chevron absorbed Gulf. There are many opportunities for some unique gas stations attributed to just one of the original "Five Sisters". Carl
I was just thinking about the name Gulf, recalling one near my home. In the late sixties, they apparently lost their branding contract. Without great modification, they changed the station name simply to "Gull", and soldiered on for many long years.
One I remember from New Jersey that doesn't seem to have been mentioned is Atlantic, although Richfield and ARCO have been. I also recall, from trips to Maine, the first gas outlets ( besides general store types) without service of any kind being Merit in New York and Connecticut. Around the Portland, Maine area there were a number of Wm. Penn service stations.
In the Chicago area in the '60s I remember a Clark station and a Pure station in our town. I also remember Boron (Standard Oil of Ohio) along Ohio interstates. The last time I was in NJ at a Hess, I found the pump jockey leaning against my Mom's car, butt sitting squarely on the rear quarter panel. I motioned him to come away from the car, which he did. No thanks, I'll pump my own gas. I rarely enter gas stations / convenience stores -- most people are standing in line to buy lottery tickets or fried chicken and each customer takes 5 Minutes to serve it seems.
Here are a few photos from the Library of Congress collection taken for the Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Board during WWII. An Atlantic sign at a station in Southington, Connecticut. A cross roads store, bar, "juke joint," and gas station in the cotton plantation area, Melrose, La. Don't know what brand of gas they were selling. And a Standard Oil filling station and garage at Pie Town, New Mexico.
Cool Russell, I had forgotten about Pie Town New Mexico. That would be a cool subject for another thread for finding "unusual" town names for layouts.
"Nice!!! I wish we still knew those days...." Amen. I love those Chevy tow trucks. I bought the Texaco version. I couldn't stop, and got a Shell too!
Still very much in business is Coopers Country Store in Salters, SC., opened in 1937 as an Esso station. What a great model this would make. I shot this photo last year.
