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For the first 14-years of my life, I lived with my grandparents in Oakland, CA in the Fruitvale District.  Yes, it was the same Grandpa that had the famous 1/2" scale STEAM railroad running around the basement.  Immediately next door to our house was a SIGNAL Gas station.  I used to visit and help "Roy", the attendant, as I got older.  He would give me free cokes, on occasion.
Yes--  I have that Lionel SIGNAL tank car too.  Also a SIGNAL patch and a SIGNAL clip board and a large SIGNAL enameled sign. I wonder why ??  (grin)
 
KRK
 
 
Originally Posted by scale rail:

I always liked Signal Gas and Oil. When I was a kid my parents would sometimes drive by Signal Hill. I thought it was amazing with hundreds of wooden oil wells and endless long lines of black tank cars. Had to buy this Lionel/K-line Signal tanker. New in the box and got it for $9.00 on E-bay. Don

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 Though a tiny bit to young to actually remember Signal being open, I loved old gas ads, and signs as a kid. But I don't remember ever seeing Signal with the flag logo before either. So I did some searching, and didn't find as much as I had hoped. But this gas station forum page was interesting reading.

 I at least expected a Wikipedia page or reference, but AlliedSignal co was all there was and the is nothing there for Signal on pre-merger(with an old Signal pump shown)

 Somewhere else said it wasn't the same Signal gas company that merged.

  Do you have enough knowledge to write that Wiki page?

  

 I always forget because "full service" is non existent today, but I earned a few sodas myself sitting in the garage, or in the shade of the old Pegasus sign waiting on a breeze, or for the "ding-ding" of the air chimes to break the thick summer air.

 

  Winter was worse, cooped in a fume filled building wishing for more heat. Hammering ice chunks off wheel wells, and cleaning frozen windows. Salt and water/ice/snow from the sides of cars, and the parking lot would saturate my pants fully, and they would stand up alone to mid thigh if they dried on me before going home for bedtime.

 

I wouldn't have skipped it to work at the theater. 

  Years before I could legally be there for a pay check, we could help for an hour then had to leave, so we took turns. I could pull in near twenty in tips on a good day plus pay later. I was dirty often, but loaded for a pre-teen. The owner died right after I was there for a paycheck too, only two or three paid weeks. 

   

My wife picked this one up for me at a thrift store.  It is a Party Lite school house.  I never heard of Party Lite, but this is like a Department 56 building.  However, the intent is that you light it with one of Party Lite's candles, thus a hole in the roof.  My photos show the bell tower hides the hole pretty well.  It looks pretty good in my village.  I placed an o gauge 1 1/2 inch tall figure beside the school marm, and he is just a smidgeon taller; just right.  I'll cover the roof and back holes and put some electric light in it eventually.  There is even a teacher with a blackboard and a couple students in the left hand window.

 

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Last edited by Mark Boyce
Originally Posted by Steamer:

cool..naw..but necessary. after 18 years aol faithful started to leak. got to thinking about where I could put the new one and gain some more real estate...but the basement is pretty cramped , so it'll go where the old one was.

 If you could exchange for two smaller units, they could go under a layout, plumbed in series. Heck the small ones can hang from a ceiling. Electric opens lots of possibilities over gas too. Attic (over the tub "in case") etc etc..

    

Today I received from from an OGR forum sponsor via UPS a Lionel 6-25153 Baltimore & Ohio Baby Madison 2-pack to to go with a Lionel 6-25148 Baltimore & Ohio Baby Madison 4-pack that I purchased years ago from another OGR forum sponsor.  I could run these with a Williams by Bachmann F-7 A-A set that I purchased earlier this year.  The F-7s were purchased from yet another OGR forum sponsor.  The prices were very good.

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