Unidentifed from my collection

[Tinman]

I have a question for board members. The fuel pump being discussed here, as well as the one pictured and even the Matchbox BP petrol pumps are all of the clock face design or style. Were clock face pumps common (at some point in time) where you lived?

Clock face pumps in the USA were very short lived. The were introduced just before digital readouts became the norm and as a result, not too many places had them. Most places went straight from an analog (rolling dial) face pump to the first generation digital pumps. In some cases, digital pumps where several generations down the line before the older analog pumps were replaced.

They were so rare, where I live (and in my travels of that time period), that I've never seen a clock face pump in use. The only ones I've seen were years later in museums (and at Jim Reids 1:1 scale restoration shop).

[toysnz]

I have heard from a collector who tells me it is pictured in a book by Paul Brookes called The Illustrated Kemlow Story. This probably makes it a Master Models, Wardie, product. I have ordered the book. Kemlows did not make die cast toys for very long but did make some for other companies. The forecourt base is marked 'British Made' which throws me a little as I try to find consistency when trying to identify. Models such as Dinky are almost always marked 'Made in England' but one model is marked 'Made in Liverpool' and Louis Marx made a few models marked Made in England and then produced models in Wales and marked Made in Great Britain.

So I wait in anticipation for the book!

PS Should have checked the last post before posting this. Thank's for the info Ian

It is a very good book and I purchased it direct from Paul himself... he even signed the inside cover! I find myself constantly referring to it in the hope one of my "unknown' models is mentioned in there ... and several have been

Ian

[toysnz]

I have a question for board members. The fuel pump being discussed here, as well as the one pictured and even the Matchbox BP petrol pumps are all of the clock face design or style. Were clock face pumps common (at some point in time) where you lived?

Clock face pumps in the USA were very short lived. The were introduced just before digital readouts became the norm and as a result, not too many places had them. Most places went straight from an analog (rolling dial) face pump to the first generation digital pumps. In some cases, digital pumps where several generations down the line before the older analog pumps were replaced.

They were so rare, where I live (and in my travels of that time period), that I've never seen a clock face pump in use. The only ones I've seen were years later in museums (and at Jim Reids 1:1 scale restoration shop).

Joe - I've seen the clock-face pumps in use in both Scotland and New Zealand - I also know they were in use in Australia as I came across an old run-down service station in the middle of nowhere (no longer operational and well and truly CLOSED) that had this style pump still sitting over the tanks in the forecourt (this was during the late 1970s.

Ian

[Idris]

I have a question for board members. The fuel pump being discussed here, as well as the one pictured and even the Matchbox BP petrol pumps are all of the clock face design or style. Were clock face pumps common (at some point in time) where you lived?

I beleive clockface pumps were standard in the Uk for a great many years.

[Viewfield]

During my studies in the late '60s I used to work in a filling station. This had the clock face pumps and was before the days of "self service". You needed to reset the dial manually before each new customer. If you forgot it would carry on from the amount indicated. I had many an argument with people who insisted that the pump had not been zeroed before filling up and who would not pay for the indicated amount!

Rod

[mrjeff]

Not that we are going slightly off topic here, but this must be a good way of dating the wardie pump, as it had the analogue dial it must be one of the earlier editions. I have tried to clean the dial but it turns out to be paper so next time I won't use soapy water and a tooth brush again!

Also, guessing here, that the pumps were all esso at one time and that the box above the dial bore the name esso. It seems this may have been poorly removed, maybe from one of the original die. Your observations are invited.

And yes I do remember being served from a clock dial pump back in jolly old England.

[toysnz]

Not that we are going slightly off topic here, but this must be a good way of dating the wardie pump, as it had the analogue dial it must be one of the earlier editions. I have tried to clean the dial but it turns out to be paper so next time I won't use soapy water and a tooth brush again!

Also, guessing here, that the pumps were all esso at one time and that the box above the dial bore the name esso. It seems this may have been poorly removed, maybe from one of the original die. Your observations are invited.

And yes I do remember being served from a clock dial pump back in jolly old England.

Wardie produced Shell, Esso, BP, Fina, and Mobilgas pumps but the early 1955 pumps were Esso and I'm assuming the square dial pumps were also Esso as the other brands don't appear until 1957. I can't find any REGENT pumps so would think it possible the original Esso labels were replaced with the Regent labels. See pages 136-140 when you get the book.

Ian

[mrjeff]

I now have the book, the globes could not be anything other than Regent, as pictured in the book at the bottom of page 136. I have been in touch with Paul Brookes who confirms this. It seems that William Lowes "Would have a go at anything" as quoted by Stephen Lowes. However, I would say that the pump I have shows it's Esso origins. I guess all that Kemlows did was to use the Esso casting and change the globes perhaps according to customers wishes. The box behind the pumps looks like Esso?

[toysnz]

I now have the book, the globes could not be anything other than Regent, as pictured in the book at the bottom of page 136. I have been in touch with Paul Brookes who confirms this. It seems that William Lowes "Would have a go at anything" as quoted by Stephen Lowes. However, I would say that the pump I have shows it's Esso origins. I guess all that Kemlows did was to use the Esso casting and change the globes perhaps according to customers wishes. The box behind the pumps looks like Esso?

Thanks for posting the update MrJeff... what do you think of Paul's book... I find its very good for identifying the items and the book as a whole is a good read!

Ian

[mrjeff]

Great book, well put together, a few missing bits but that is why we need books like this. It not only helps folk like us, but it also helps in refining detail, such as the pump globes. I will be continuing my read and comparing what I have, hidden deep in boxes somewhere, but I will get to them eventually. Thank's again for putting me in the right direction.

Also, check this out.

http://autojauneblog.fr/tag/kemlow/

Feeling a little jealous.