Wagons in vintage Street scenes

I remember odd/even license plate numbers. Some stations even had gallon or dollar limits as well.

 

If I can remember correctly, we let the odd-even deal go by the honor system, but would not refuse anyone needing gas. Just about everyone went by the rules though. Motorcycles should have been exempt as on a longer trip we made sure it was on our right day. But one biker had the wrong number and the station we stopped at refused him gas. We had to let him borrow one of our plates so he could get some. The good 'ol days, but those days were not fun. Short on gas, my hours at the station got cut and higher prices for everyone to boot.

 

Nice to know everything old is new again. Your last paragraph sounds vaguely familiar.

 

I was on a corner with 3 other stations. They all sold their allocation and within a couple of hours and closed for the day. I had 3 islands with 6 sets of pumps. The side island was reserved only for my commercial accounts. I blocked off one side of the other two so I only had 2 active sets of pumps. I had 2 men stationed at each one. They filled the tanks, washed their windows, and checked under the hood including oil, air filter, and wiper blades. Tires if necessary. We brought them coffee or cigarettes if requested. Each employee saved the boxtops from anything he sold and I gave them fifty cents apiece for them. I was able to keep my regular customers happy because they knew they could get gas when needed, and also discouraged the opportunists who went to any open station to add to their tank. I stayed open all day, kept my mechanics busy, built a lot of good will, and still sold all my allocation in addition to the state set aside which I applied for.

There was no actual gas shortage. It was in the tanks of the public who engaged in panic buying, similar to the recent toilet paper shortage, also the result of panic buying.

 

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas

 

Thanks yellerspirit. It would have been perfect driving home in that Nash wagon with a tree on top. But it was pretty darn good.

 

A train load of 74 AMCs

 

I wonder how they decided which cars got the wheelcovers put on them?

 

They were loaded inside each car. The style level dictated which set the factory workers put in; they had to do that because of thievery. Which is why autoloader cars are now fully enclosed.

 

Bath Maine