The Subject Was Petrol Bowsers!
By Four Walls
@FourWalls (86757)
United States
August 24, 2024 11:11pm CST
Or gas pumps. In Australia they were called “Bowsers” after the man who invented the gas pump, Sylvanus Bowser (who, for the record, was an American, so I don’t know why WE don’t call them bowsers 
).
Last week our great myLotter @JudyEv wrote a discussion about seeing an old-time, gravity-operated fuel dispensers. It befuddled most of us.
Well, guess what I saw TWO of on Route 66 today?? Gravity-operated fuel dispensers! So THERE! 
The first one was in Odell, where the camper in an earlier discussion of mine was parked. The second one was in a Route 66 museum in Pontiac.
It’s such a small world here in myLot land, isn’t it!
PHOTOS:
(Left) Conoco pump at the museum in Pontiac, IL
(Right) Standard pump at the Odell, IL gas station
Here’s Judy’s original discussion:
).
Last week our great myLotter @JudyEv wrote a discussion about seeing an old-time, gravity-operated fuel dispensers. It befuddled most of us.
Well, guess what I saw TWO of on Route 66 today?? Gravity-operated fuel dispensers! So THERE!
The first one was in Odell, where the camper in an earlier discussion of mine was parked. The second one was in a Route 66 museum in Pontiac.
It’s such a small world here in myLot land, isn’t it!
PHOTOS:
(Left) Conoco pump at the museum in Pontiac, IL
(Right) Standard pump at the Odell, IL gas station
Here’s Judy’s original discussion:Seeing the above petrol bowser in the café in our home town of Narrogin brought back memories of being a child. We lived on a farm and ‘Town day’ was Friday....
10 people like this
7 responses
@FourWalls (86757)
• United States
25 Aug 24
My pleasure, and thanks for the article…I knew what I was looking at when I saw them!
1 person likes this
@Orson_Kart (8295)
• United Kingdom
25 Aug 24
You say “the UK”, but I’m not familiar with them?
We have ‘bowsers’, but they are usually either large tankers used to refuel aircraft or for supplying water in emergency situations.
A ‘petrol pump’, has always been a petrol pump, as far as I know.
2 people like this
@Orson_Kart (8295)
• United Kingdom
25 Aug 24
@FourWalls I admit I wasn’t around in the 1930’s, but I’ve never read or heard this term for a petrol pump. Do you have a reference other than the oracle known as Judy?
At least I didn’t say it was a character from the Nintendo Super Mario Bros. 
Car parks are becoming cost prohibitive over here, so I use them less and less. 
Car parks are becoming cost prohibitive over here, so I use them less and less. 2 people like this
@FourWalls (86757)
• United States
26 Aug 24
@Orson_Kart — I shall change it because I don’t find evidence that they were called bowsers in the UK. Thank you for catching that, and my apologies for the error. 
2 people like this
@FourWalls (86757)
• United States
25 Aug 24
These date to the 1930s, so it’s probably long fallen out of use. Don’t ever stop using “car park,” though!!!
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (51831)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
25 Aug 24
Wouldn't bowser be a more apt name for a dog?
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86757)
• United States
25 Aug 24
Bowser was the bass singer in Sha Na Na, too.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (135819)
• Marion, Ohio
25 Aug 24
I don't remember ever seeing one. It is a small world here
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86757)
• United States
25 Aug 24
These were about the oldest I had seen, and I don’t know that I saw one actually in use.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (135819)
• Marion, Ohio
25 Aug 24
@FourWalls I don't remember seeing those either.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (98033)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
25 Aug 24
WOW that is interesting, Thanks for the information. I would have never known,
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (222534)
• United States
25 Aug 24
I may have seen them; but I surely don't remember it. Have a good day and drive safely.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86757)
• United States
25 Aug 24
Glad she wrote it, because I was on the lookout for one!!!
