Why I Love Gas Stations On My Layout

Where was this Don? "Eat and sleep in a Wigwam" Very funny stuff. Maybe a great neon sign for Miller Engineering to replicate.

Pretty Cool.

 

There was a chain of Wigwam motels. There's one in San Bernardino on Foothill just East of Pepper. I also understand there's one in/near Saligman, Arizona. Where's the one in the picture?

This motel is on old route 66 in San Bernadino California. This is an old picture, look at the cars. The motel still exists today. Look up Wigwam Motel. Also one in Arizona.

The Wigwam Motel in Arizona is in Holbrook. Here's a link to the Wikipedia page, which talks about all the Wigwam Motels and has several pictures.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wigwam_Motel

Many years ago here in the Tidewater VA area there was a chain of "no-frills" gas stations called Tankar. They consisted of a retired RR tank car mounted on raised concrete pads, with a small service building in front of it and pumps in the driveway. Just basic gas/oil/water service; no service bays, car wash, etc. I did a Google search to find a sample pic of a Tankar station and wouldn't you know it, not a thing came up.  Surprising considering there were quite a few of them around. A Tankar style gas station would make a nice scene on a layout. Not a big footprint, probably around 9"x9" or so would be enough space.

Here's a picture of a Tankar Station In virginia just as described.

Hello Don

If you go to you tube , and search "Bernie's trains official" , I built the Wigwam Village

Hotel  for a customers layout  It stood in Orlando for years on Orange Blossom Trail

I am currently building your first picture .

I do not know how to post the you tube link , I think you have to set up a google acct

which I am not doing.

 

Bernie

The first Cars movie borrowed the Wigwam concept but used orange cones...
http://d1535dk28ea235.cloudfro...Cozy_cone_motel1.png

One of my other hobbies is collecting "Linen" Roadside America postcards from the 1930s-40s. I have a number of Wigwam ones, exterior and interior. They were in a number of states...one being in pre-Disney Orlando, FL.

I also saw a photo of Wigwam his and hers outhouses, with a caption under the photo "Pee-pee in a tee-pee".

I love those old Wigwam motels.  Roadside motels used to have a lot of "character" back in the day.

 

I noticed the price of gas at the Tankar station was 31.9 cents per gallon.  What's the price of gas on your layout?

This covered wagon was also another gas station until early 90.  It is about 18 miles west of Lincoln Ne.

Did a story with the guy that flew this plane from Texas to Oregon for his gas station. It's still there. Don

Don and everyone,

Your photos. show a certain appeal with their decorations!

I remember, from the late 1940's, up into the mid.1950's, a particular restaurant, in Staten Island, N.Y.C., N.Y., had a windmill shaped building, with wind mill blades, attached.

If, my memory serves me correct, the obvious name was "The Windmill Restaurant," unless I'm wrong?! 

All photos, are fantastic, having a full scale shape of an item, affixed to the place of business.

Ralph-RJL

Bob, thank you for supplementing my post with that pic, most appreciated!

We saw this one outside of Yakima Washington. It's closed now. Don

I am going to try to get this on my new layout. Don

Here's the other photo of the TANKAR station:

 

 

and the one I made in HO:

 

 

 

 

The last time I checked, the "TANKAR" company was still in Virginia Beach.  I went there once and they let me peruse thru their files/photos to build this, but I never got any dimensional data, so it's all a guess.

 

Should be simple to build in O scale.

 

One Wigwam Motel is about 15 miles NE of my house.  A couple of years ago a guy bought the whole place and restored it to its "original" look.  

 

Used to pass it when we'd visit relatives down here in SoCal (WE lived in Utah at the time")but Dad would never let us stop there.

Just down the road from where I live. Great restaraunt call the Bomber Restaraunt that has all the history regarding renovations and other intereswting facts. Very cool place.

Really great thread!  I remember seeing a wigwam "motel" as a kid.  I really like the Tankar gas station - great model idea.

In the photo of the 1:1 TANKAR station there's a 2nd building.  I think that's where they kept all the "Free Gifts" they gave away when people bought a certain amount of gas, maybe a fill-up.  I know gas stations back in the 50s gave away dishes and glasses, but I can't think of any others.

 

The station in the color photo was still standing at the intersection of Victory Blvd and Deep Creek Blvd back in the 70s, but it seems the EPA  or some other environmental organization (or maybe a city ordinance) made them tear it down because the ground was saturated with gas.

The Wigwam wouldn't be hard to build, but I think the gas station part is no longer there.  Just a half dozen motels unit still survive.

Don/ScaleRail, Please,please show us some of your gas station modeling, here, too. You don't think I forgot it, do you? C'mon. Share 'em again, incl. interior shots?

Frank

I'd like to see more, too

Frank, I see I'm going to have to build you a Shell Station some day. I can't find a picture of my third station but here are two. Don

Don,

 

Since it's been almost two years since you posted your beautiful films of your layout, maybe it's time for a re-visit.  I have them saved and can watch them anytime but others may not have saved/seen them!  Whatdya say?

 

I showed several of my Skelly, Bay, and Frontier gas stations (and combination country stores) on here a few months ago.  I did a lot of internet research into

petroliana and old gas stations to find the brands that would have been extent

at my imagined period and location, and found there are a lot of petroliana collectors

and a lot of gas station history on line.  Wigwam, Tankar, windmills, and quite a few

other shapes and creations came up.  The Skelly station was scratchbuilt, as was

the Bay station/new car dealer, but I kitbashed others.  A diligent search will turn

up a lot of interesting ones to build.  I figured a RR station and a store/gas station

would be enough to indicate the stops/towns on my RR.

Only for you Charly. Don

Thank you....

I live right around the corner from there. The current owners even spent some serious cash to renovate them and the grounds.

These were a popular hangout on Friday and Saturday nights in Indy.

 

http://www.rogerlandry.com/teepee.html

The teapot was bought by the City of Zillah, moved into town, refubed and turned into their visitors center last summer.  Keeping with the RR theme... Zillah (pronounced zill-uh) was named for the daughter of the Northern Pacific's president.  Zillah is at Exit 52 on I-82 between Yakima and Tri-Cities/Pasco.

If there are any members on here from Helena, Montana area. Back in the early 60's I was traveling via auto through Helena, Montana on I believe what was Route 12, enroute to my new Military assignment at Ft. Richardson, Alaska. The Wigwam station here looks very similar to the one pictured in Don's photo. Are there any members from Montana that can confirm that?

Here's my gas station.  I also have a garage kit that I'm gonna put a lube rack in and it will be part of the gas station.  I haven't built it yet.  Gas stations are the best!  BTW, nice gas stations, Don!  Are you putting those same gas stations on your new layout?  Matt

Since this original post and my previous response was posted, I blundered on a Tankar station that is about two blocks from the town square right off I-75 between

Cincinnati and Toledo in Sidney, Ohio.  Tank car is in place on pedestals and other building appears to be still used for auto repairs.  Under the tank office is closed and no gas available, though.  Tank is black and well weathered..rust streaks, etc.  I shot photos but they are old school 35mm.

I, like poster, like gas stations and have built several, and would like to build more, but wouldn't be able to use more of them, without a pole building to build a layout in.

Apple & Spud Line, my I haven't heard the word Spud used in years. Brings back lots of memories when I lived with my uncle's family on a farm in Mabton, Washington raising mint. The mint is all gone now as are most of the farms. I went to this now closed school then. Some weekends we would go to the big town of Toppenish. If I was lucky could see a Northern Pacific train go through. Don

 Hey Don,

In my previous post I was going to mention the NP running through Toppenish which as you probably know is accessible from the same exit off I-82 as Zillah/Teapot building.  The Toppenish station is now a Northern Pacific Museum.  The group that runs that was actually running a short line out to the Yakama Nation's lumber mill in White Swan until a few years ago.  They had also been giving rides on that line but that too has ceased for now.  That line was taken over by Central Washington Railroad.  You probably wouldn't recognize Toppenish (or find much excitement unless you gamble) today but your old school building was still standing last time I drove through Mabton.  Actually, during the summer Toppenish is a touristy area.  ~20 years ago they started a project to paint murals on a lot of the classic old, western buildings around town.  They have horse drawn covered wagon tours of the murals.  The Yakama Nation RV Park has teepee rentals.  Also the old drug store and soda fountain are in business and you can get a decent burger there for a couple bucks.  Scratch builders will find a lot of inspiration from the buildings in Toppenish.  

 

Here's a website with links to the NP museum which is conveniently located around the corner from the American Hop Museum.  http://www.toppenish.net/

Thanks, I think there were three theaters in Toppenish. Liberty, Pix and one other. There was one in Mabton. It was tiny. I remember seeing Jungle Jim movies there. My cousin and I would drive the Studebaker pickup to town to see a movie. Both of us were way to young to drive but my cousin could reach the pedals so he drove. Don