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tokig Offline OP
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I did not realize how historical these Bowser Red Sentry 241 pumps actually were and further research has been exciting.

Most agree that when “Good Gulf Gasoline” went on sale, Gulf Refining Company opened America’s first true drive-in service station.
The motoring milestone took place at the corner of Baum Boulevard and St. Clair Street in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on December 1, 1913.
Unlike earlier simple curbside gasoline filling stations, an architect purposefully designed the pagoda-style brick facility offered free air, water, crankcase service, and tire and tube installation.
“This distinction has been claimed for other stations in Los Angeles, Dallas, St. Louis and elsewhere,” notes a Gulf corporate historian.
“The evidence indicates that these were simply sidewalk pumps and that the honor of the first drive-in is that of Gulf and Pittsburgh.”
The Gulf station included a manager and four attendants standing by. The original service station’s brightly lighted marquee provided shelter from bad weather for motorists.

“On its first day, the station sold 30 gallons of gasoline at 27 cents per gallon. On its first Saturday, Gulf’s new service station pumped 350 gallons of gasoline,” notes the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.
“Prior to the construction of the first Gulf station in Pittsburgh and the countless filling stations that followed throughout the United States, automobile drivers pulled into almost any old general or hardware store, or even blacksmith shops in order to fill up their tanks,” the historical commission explains.
The decision to open the first station along Baum Boulevard in Pittsburgh was no accident.
By 1913 when the station was opened, Baum Boulevard had become known as “automobile row” because of the high number of dealerships that were located along the thoroughfare.
“Gulf executives must have figured that there was no better way to get the public hooked on using filling stations than if they could pull right in and gas up their new car after having just driven it off the lot,” notes a commission historian.
In addition to gas, the Gulf station also offered free air and water – and sold the first commercial road maps in the United States.
“The first generally distributed oil company road maps are usually credited to Gulf,” says Harold Cramer in his Early Gulf Road Maps of Pennsylvania.

This Gulf station was servicing the public thru four or more Bowser cut 241 Red Sentry swing door pumps. These Bowser pumps were well recognized by the “Red Sentry” graphics along with “filtered gasoline” .



FirstGasStationPittsburgh1913Dec1.jpg FirstGasStationPittsburgh1913Dec1b.jpg
Last edited by tokig; Thu Jan 25 2018 09:25 AM.
Please use For Sale forums to sell

Please - NO offers to Buy or Sell in this forum category

Statements such as, "I'm thinking about selling this." are considered an offer to sell.
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tokig Offline OP
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Here I see a Bowser cut 241 slide door outside of a Automotive museum in England.
Morgan Motor Museum

The museum is situated in Rolvenden, near Tenterden in Kent.

[Linked Image]

Last edited by tokig; Thu Feb 08 2018 01:59 PM.
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tokig Offline OP
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Some of the restoration offered pumps can be quite challenging, but the pictorial photos can be valuable to other projects.


[Linked Image][Linked Image]

Last edited by tokig; Sun Feb 18 2018 09:45 AM.
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tokig Offline OP
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At auction, a different restoration to fit someones likes.

[Linked Image]

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tokig Offline OP
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I found an eBay ad listing from late last year 2017 of a man selling new sheet metal for 241s. Appears to be sliding door lower sheet metal.
Ebay listing stated -

Bowser red sentry petrol pump lower tin work.
For sale is a remanufacturered lower tin work panel for the Bowser red sentry. This auction is for the four pieces ready for you to weld together. Pictured is an assembled lower panel and a restored pump, not included in this auction. You are buying the four panels ready to weld together to fit your lower casting. Also included are two remanufactured cover plates that go over the over hole in the lower panel.
These can be posted worldwide or collected from North Bristol. For international postage please let me know your location.

seller - land_rover_80inch_nut (1561 )

international seller, price for metal and shipping appears to me to be about $250.



241panels3.jpg 241panels1.jpg 241panels4.jpg
Last edited by tokig; Mon Mar 05 2018 02:23 AM.
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tokig Offline OP
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The condition of a Bowser Red Sentry , slide door , cut 241 as found in the wild.

Probably photographs much better, and without surrounding distractions, as a dead body on the ground.

UK Bowser pumps, as this one is, seems to come with a whirly flow indicator at the top and a more sophisticated center pipe cover which houses electrical.

RedSentryDeadUK.jpg
Last edited by tokig; Sun Mar 11 2018 09:32 AM.
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tokig Offline OP
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Here is a Bowser Red Sentry cut 241 early model, swing door. Both sides have an opvalving can allow pumping out the hoseening door. The rotary pump can either dispense at a low level into a container or valving can allow pumping out the hose for longer distance.

The later sliding door Bowser Red Sentry cut 241 only opened on one side.

H1097-L114386704.jpg
Last edited by tokig; Fri Mar 30 2018 05:58 PM.
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I think this is a Bowser 241 slide door pump.

England, pre war, Phil Vincent on a series A Rapide. probably 1939

[Linked Image]

Last edited by tokig; Sat Jun 16 2018 03:09 PM.
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