Oldgas.com Home  

Click here for Petro Porcelain Sign auction listings


Home | Help | Events | Auctions | Parts | Pictures | Links | Contact
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 3
J
Jay Offline OP
Member
OP Offline
Member
J
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 3
Well, I keep getting kicked out before I get my message finished, so if this posts three times, please forgive me.

I am looking for info that will help in the restoration of the 1936 Tower Conoco Station in Shamrock, TX. Anything you have to offer would be appreciated.

First, we need to install a period service-bay door and can't find a decent picture of one. Is anyone an expert on 1930's service-bay doors or have a pic?

Second, we want to restore the original neon and need pictures of the Tower Station that shows the neon, preferrably at night. Anyone?

Finally, I have a couple of pictures of pumps that were at the station. we want to install reproductions of one type or the other. Can anyone ID them?





Edit to update image URL

[This message has been edited by Oldgas (edited 03-24-2002).]

Please use For Sale forums to sell

Please - NO offers to Buy or Sell in this forum category

Statements such as, "I'm thinking about selling this." are considered an offer to sell.
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 12
B
Member
Offline
Member
B
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 12
Hi, Jay, If this is the old station along Route 66, it's a great old station! The pumps in the upper picture appear to be Wayne Model 60 gas pumps with the globes mounted sideways. The pumps in the lower picture look to be Martin & Schwartz Model 80 Script Top gas pumps. E-mail me if you need additional info! gaspumps@televar.com

Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 871
L
Petro Enthusiast
Offline
Petro Enthusiast
L
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 871
Jay,
Why not post your the purpose of this restoration ? Museum retail sales, historical preservation, etc. There may be restorers/collectors willing to help with services or items.

Brad is correct on the pumps.

[This message has been edited by PremoPetrol (edited 02-28-2001).]


larry ivy
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 3
J
Jay Offline OP
Member
OP Offline
Member
J
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 3
OK. Here is the Scoop on the Tower Station. If you want a relatively detailed history, I wrote a feature article on the project for the National Route-66 Federation Magazine's most recent issue. Get a copy at national66.com.

Here is the story in a nutshell. In the 1930s it became clear that the newly established Route-66 would cut through the north end of Shamrock, TX. The owners of the prime corner lot at the new crossroads of the Del Rio Canadian Road (83) and Route-66 were offered a deal. Sell the land and have a beautiful custom designed building constructed on the site for their own use. The owners jumped at the deal and one immediately grabbed a stick and sketched the building he wanted in the dirt for the prospective buyer. The drawing was transferred to paper and the station was born.

The building was constructed as three separate businesses: 1. The Tower Conoco Station, so named for the tall tower gracing its roof. 2. The U-Drop Inn Cafe, named by a local schoolboy in a contest that awarded him $50.00 for his idea. 3. A retail store, never used as such, but soon taken over by the cafe folks for use as a ballroom and overflow dining room.

The building was beautiful in its day; neon lighting, deco details and glazed ceramic tile walls. It gradually took a beating, the biggest hit coming in the 70s when it was painted red-white-and-blue and converted to a FINA station. The building operated successfully for most of its life, finally closing completely in the mid 90s.

The Shamrock Chamber of Commerce is utilizing a federal transportation enhancement grant (TEA-21) administered by the Texas Department of Transportation to restore the building to its original grandeur. Soon the chamber will occupy the retail space as the Chamber/Tourism office. The Cafe will be restored as a stopping place for weary travelers to get a cup of coffee, a soda or just to play some dominoes and chat with local old-timers. The station is to be restored as, well, a sort of museum of itself; restored to what it looked like as an operating 1940 station so route-66ers and gas station buffs can stop and walk through. The plan also calls for a picnic area, dump station, and travel info kiosk.

If you want to lend a hand, there is plenty you can do. The grant program won't pay for what they consider artifacts like reproduction signs, reproduction gas pumps, and stuff that might have stocked the station like equipment, oil cans and the like. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor you can contact me (214)748-4561 or David Rushing in the Shamrock Chamber Office (806)256-2516. Mr. Rushing has arranged for all contributions to be tax deductible.

Thanks for your interest! I Will try to post some pics in the next day or two.

Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 871
L
Petro Enthusiast
Offline
Petro Enthusiast
L
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 871
If you want to utilize the MS 80 pumps for the station, I and perhaps various other restorers might be willing to do a pump for the restoration. Some coordination would be required to provide a proper finish for outdoors, color, etc. It would be much more difficult and costly to do eight cut 60s.
Some of the signage such as the outdoor quaker state tombstone could also be donated.
It takes a lot of small pieces such as tire stands, lubesters, oil can racks, etc. to complete the station. Asking people in the hobby to donate items would be an excellent way of having a part in a museum everyone could see and enjoy. [img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1545140&a=11714464&p=42313620[/img]
Larry

[This message has been edited by PremoPetrol (edited 02-28-2001).]


larry ivy
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 3
J
Jay Offline OP
Member
OP Offline
Member
J
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 3
Thanks for the input and interest, and thanks also to you guys for ID-ing the pumps. We would really like to place vintage pumps outside the station and I think either the Wayne-60 or the M&S 80 would be appropriate. Let me ask the experts your opinions about this. My biggest concern with placing the pumps is vandalism. The station is to be a 24-hour rest stop for travellers and we must assume that the pumps will take some abuse. I think this is especially true of the Wayne-60's which would certainly suffer from people trying to steal the globes. In addition, the pumps will be at least partially exposed to the elements because the canopies don't have big overhangs.

So, the big question is whether or not we should be placing museum pieces out there or if we should just use reproductions? It seems the M&S pumps would be better if we put out originals.

We need at least six pumps and can use as many as eight. The City of Shamrock would love to include all of you in this project. We are also working to get Conoco interested. We can only hope that they will sponsor us because this building is going to be a giant billboard for them.

If we can get together to get some things donated I will work with the city to put together some sort of donor plaque to recognize all of those who help set the place up.

Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 871
L
Petro Enthusiast
Offline
Petro Enthusiast
L
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 871
Reproduction (fiberglass pumps) will not withstand the outdoors well and are harder to "bullet proof" than regular pumps. The waynes are going to be much harder to protect and much more costly to do. The MS 80 are more readily available because Conoco owned M&S for a short period and used exclusively their pumps. In my area, I have never bought a MS 80 that was NOT Conoco.
Also these pump do not use Globes. The pumps should be powder coated for outdoor use and can have the cranks, nozzles, etc. secured where they can't be removed. This is going to be true of anything displayed outdoors. The down side of the MS 80 is the non-locking access door and the easy removal of the tops. I've seen literally dozens of these pumps with the tops missing still bolted to the concrete.

[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1545140&a=11714464&p=42360143[/img]

Keep me posted, you have my email.
Larry


larry ivy
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 8,509
Likes: 289
Moderator
Online Cool
Moderator
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 8,509
Likes: 289
Jay has sent me some pictures of the Tower Conoco station as it was in the 1930s and as it is now. I've made them into a Web page so it can now be listed on our Petro Places to Visit page.

See: Our Tower Conoco page

I hope the petroliana community supports this restoration with technical help and donations of memorabilia and equipment.



------------------
Oldgas
Your host and moderator


Jim "Oldgas" Potts
Your host and moderator

Moderated by  Oldgas, Ryan Underthun 

Link Copied to Clipboard

Click here for Gas Pump auction listings

Copyright © 2023 Primarily Petroliana Interactive, All Rights Reserved

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5