Wordy Wednesday - Shell Filling Station

Shasta County, California. Filling stations close up as the tourist trade decreases, June, 1942, Lee Russell

As I begin my preparations for construction of a modest switching layout, I have been taking increased note of things that will be valuable references. It is little surprise that anything that will aid in my construction and detailing of structures and the scenes in which they’ll reside gets attention. I stumbled across this photo on the FSA-OWI photo site hosted by the Library of Congress. It is a defunct filling station in northern California (extreme northern, relatively close to Oregon, where I am modeling). Granted, the gasoline sales portion of the station and the accompanying equipment appeared to have been removed by the time this photo was recorded in 1942. Note that in the background at left is what to all appearances is a functioning gas station.

Nonetheless, there is still a great deal to be gleaned from this photo. Architecturally, the photo illustrates a large portion of the structure of the overhang that sheltered patrons while pumping gas. Details include the embellishments at the junctions of the roof line, support post beams and other areas. These were not only attractive features, but also served to tie together and strengthen the structure at critical points. As was quite common, the roof line of the shelter (and the shelter itself) was oriented to bisect the 90-degree angle created by the intersection of the streets.

Details abound. The large SHELL sign atop the shelter would be a great touch to add to a model, including the support wires, extending to the roof eaves. The Quaker State lube service sign is another add-on to accent the scene. Finally, while every window in this scene has one, likely due to the “hibernation” of the station’s gas dispensing operations, the signs promoting the Russell Bros. Circus in Redding (California) on June 27 are a great detail that adds “life” to this scene, and could be similarly replicated on a model, albeit in maybe one or two signs.

The great thing is that there are numerous commercially available 1920s vintage gas station kits that follow this general design, but that could be easily and minimally modified using a photo such as this one to make it “one’s own” so that visitors to the layout will appreciate its uniqueness rather than mentally noting that the gas station is the same one seen on many layouts.