Tankar Stations VARIOUS LOCATIONS: 755 - 25th Street, Newport News, VA 23607 Jefferson Avenue, Newport News, VA Pembroke Avenue, Hampton, VA 37th Street and Hampton Boulelvard, Norfolk, VA
09/27/04					09/27/04
THEN:	NOW:	THEN:	NOW:	THEN:	NOW:
Portsmouth Boulevard in Truxton, Portsmouth, VA		High Street, Portsmouth, VA		37th Street and Hampton Boulelvard, Norfolk, VA
Courtesy of Eric Huffstutler (Bethel HS - '75) of VA - 05/27/10 Thanks, Eric!		Courtesy of Eric Huffstutler (Bethel HS - '75) of VA - 05/27/10 Thanks, Eric!		Courtesy of Rob Stanton of VA - 07/13/12 Thanks, Rob!

A model railroad version:

- Eric Huffstutler (Bethel HS - '75) of VA - 05/27/10
Thanks, Eric!

Hey, I just thought of a gas station that was near a junk yard (both now gone) called Tankar Gas. 
It had a railroad tank car on the roof... remember that? 
It was during the day when city ordinances weren't strict about signs or displays and
you could have animated or blinking marquees as well as unusual signage.

- Eric Huffstutler (Bethel HS - '75) of VA - 09/24/04

Tankar Gas, hmmm?  It sounds cool, but reminds me of the lyrics of "Once Upon a December":  "…things I almost remember…".

- Carol Buckley Harty ('65) of NC - 09/24/04



I do remember Tankar Gas, but will need a minute to remember where it was located.
As I followed Eric's earlier message, about BeLo, Rich's,
(Mr. Jimmy Rich owned Grocery Stores and then opened a chain of fast food restaurants, serving chicken)
that were located on 39th Street, near the intersection of Marshall Avenue in Newport News, VA.
Also next to them was the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company Complex for Residential Phones,
and a lighting store owned by Mr. Fred Christy.
I do not remember the name of his firm. I think the Tankar Gas Station was on Jefferson Avenue,
near the 39th Street Bridge, between 38th Street and 39th Street.
Nice brain drain.

- Joe Madagan ('57) of FL - 09/24/04
Incredible, Joe!  You never cease to amaze me with your near total recall.  Thanks, Adonis!

How neat!  Yes, the gas station was near the bridge on Jefferson Avenue, and later a Robo Car Wash was placed there.

- Eric Huffstutler (Bethel HS - '75) of VA - 09/24/04
Thanks, Eric!

Yes, there were Tankar Stations all around the Peninsula.
And indeed, atop their small building was a "Tankar Car" to be taken as the real thing.
Those were the days that "gas station attendants" still existed and would come provide the service, plus!,
that we all do ourselves in this day and time.
I remember one on Pembroke Avenue down a bit toward NN from Shoney's.
I also think there was one at 25th and Marshall?
 
I clearly remember that they carried "bulk oil" (reprocessed) in bottles for 20 cents a quart.
Rip (Collins - '65 of TN) can tell ya that I'm not kidding when I say I would pull up to these places
and tell the attendant to "fill the oil with the 'bulk' and check the gas"!
I got about 4 stations to the quart of oil with that old '54 hand brush painted Plymouth.
It beat walking, barely.

- Wayne Stokes ('65) of VA - 09/26/04
Thanks, Wayne!

Joe Madagan is correct about the gas station.
I worked at the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company storeroom at 930-39th Street
from 1967 - 1973 when I was in line crew and then a residential installer.

- Dave Arnold ('65) of VA - 09/26/04
Thanks, Dave!

Although feeble of mind, I can actually be of assistance with respect to the Tankar Service Station.
It was located in the 700 block of 25th Street, on the west side of the street and one building away from Madison Avenue.
That building was also a service station, but memory fails me as to brand.
Directly across Madison, on the west side, was an Amoco station.
During WWII my father operated the Amoco station, so actual memory of it is nonexistent.

The Tankar Station is another story. The station was managed and operated by my uncle, Paul Helfrich,
who was the brother of my mother and father of my first cousin and classmate, Gertrude (Helfrich - '62)
(she is married, by the way, to Ricky Hedrick. I noticed sometime back that a former wife was searching for him.)
Adjacent to and attached to the left side of the Tankar Station was a small used car lot named, appropriately, Parker's Auto Sales.
You can guess whose father that was.
Time frame, as best I can remember, is mid '50s to early '60s.
Oh, by the way, the station was built into the side of the tank car. The tank car was not on top of it.
I'll try hard to remember another Tankar station located somewhere other than 25th Street. 
I don't deny another one on 39th Street, so there may well have been one there as well.

- Jimmy Parker ('62) of VA - 09/26/04

OHHHH, Jimmy, when you said that the station was built INTO the tank car rather than sitting underneath,
I suddenly had a clear vision of it!  And I'm seeing the one on 25th Street, too!   WOWZERS!!! 
It's just a little memory, and I never even got out of my mama's car there, but I'm so happy to have it return! 
The name of the station was mounted atop the tank car in free-standing red block capital letters, was it not? 
Ohhh, yeah, I remember it now!  I thought the whole concept was so clever!
Thanks for restoring yet another lost memory to me.

- Carol Buckley Harty ('65) of NC - 09/27/04

Now that I think about it, I do believe Jimmy (Parker - '62 of VA) to be correct!
It was NOT on top but was indeed "built into", to convey that "clever concept". 
But I do stand by my Pembroke Avenue station!
Take Care!

- Wayne Stokes ('65) of VA - 09/27/04
Thanks, Wayne!

Carol .... in reference to the Tankar page, the address for the downtown NN one was 755 - 25th Street.
I found no listing for any others in either the 52 or 60 city directories.
Tankar was based in Virginia and yes, the marketing niche was building the station
into the side of an actual tank car, but early stations were not built that way.
I have pictures of one in Lynchburg without the tank, and ones in Norfolk and Portsmouth with.
Unfortunately I have none from the Peninsula.

- Tom Norris (HHS - '73) of VA - 12/28/04
Awww... Thanks anyway, Tom!
 

I never saw any photo follow up about Tankar Gas Stations but here (above) are a couple of pictures
of one that stood in Portsmouth so gives an idea of what the Newport News one looked like.

- Eric Huffstutler (Bethel HS - '75) of VA - 05/27/10
Thanks so much, Eric!