944 Shell-BP Fuel Tanker (1963-69)

944-Black hubs Note that there are two different types of hubs on this model. This happened also with grey hubs. 944 - Red hubs

Thanks Jacques, I had noticed the two different types of grey hubs on my Octopus chain lorries. Were these black hubs used on any other models? I certainly haven't found a black hubbed 944 I can afford, and I've been looking for years. CW.

Chris, Black plastic hubs were also used on : 960 cement / concrete mixer, 945 A.E.C. articulated fuel tanker 'Esso', 948 Tractor and trailer 'Mc. Lean', 966 Leyland Super Comet Marrel multi bucket unit, 972 Coles 20 ton lorry mounted crane. Of course, knowing Meccano, there may be short runs of other ones.

Jacques I was asked by the owner of the 'Sweeteners' tanker to take a series of photographs of it as you had requested that from him. I willingly did this and sent them to you a number of days ago. I have had no acknowledgement of this or any reply to my subsequent e-mail to you. Can you please confirm that you did receive the images? Dave

David, I am sorry but I have not received these pictures, I wish I had. Did you send them to dinkycollect@ ..... or to jacquesdujardin@ ..... the later being an obsolete address which does not work anymore. Jacques.

It went to jacquesdujardin@outlook.fr Can you let me have the new address and I will resend them Dave

For everybody, If you have this address, please delete it, it does not work any more thanks to Microsoft / Microbrain. Jacques.

Taken from the July-August-September 1963 Meccano Trade Bulletin that was sent out to all Meccano dealers in June, is the first advertisement for the 944 Shell BP Fuel Tanker. A sample of this model, together with Order Forms also accompanied the Bulletin. It is to be noted the wording in the description: 'Well proportioned and finely detailed, it is immaculate in the new B.P. yellow, white and grey livery' but what of the Shell brand? Here in Australia, Shell and BP were two separate companies, with BP (British Petroleum) being originally called 'C.O.R.' or Commonwealth Oil Refineries'. The trade colours for BP was green and white with Shell in red and yellow. Anyway, the advertisement again reinforces the fact that the 944 was always referred to as Shell BP Fuel Tanker with the words 'Leyland Octopus' never being included unlike the 943 that was always referred to as Leyland Octopus Tanker 'Esso'. I have asked this question before, and there have been several answers, but why was the 944 treated differently? There must be a plausible explanation. It is amazing how the correct title of the 944 Shell BP Fuel Tanker can be changed in recent years. Bruce (150)

Hello Bruce, My experience in several design offices is that there is no logic in naming a new object, new type or new model. This is often done during a meeting while the new item is discussed. The first guy who talks about it wil use a name which will be repeated and may be become distorted and or shortened during the meeting. This is the name that will be used later in any document, memo etc... about this item. No formal discussion has taken place about this name and no logic has applied except that it is the most simple way to name the item. Of course the boss may impose his own name just to show that he is the boss. Shell-Mex and BP Ltd was a British joint marketing venture between petroleum companies Royal Dutch Shell (Shell) and British Petroleum (BP). It was formed in 1932 when both companies decided to merge their United Kingdom marketing operations,(1) partly in response to the difficult economic conditions of the times. The parent organisations de-merged their United Kingdom marketing operations in 1976. Does this answers your questions ?

Jacques In reply to your answers, yes/no and yes. Yes/no for your first answer. I was not querying WHY Meccano called the 944 Shell-BP Fuel Tanker, although I am wondering why Leyland Octopus was not included as it was for the 943 and I feel it goes far deeper than what you have stated, and may extend to the design of the tank itself, as I indicated in one of my previous posts. My question extends to what 944 is referred to in this day and age when we seem to include two words that are not included on the box, catalogues, price lists, Meccano Magazine, Order Forms, Dealer Bulletins and anything else that came out of the Meccano factory. Everyone who publishes anything should take a leaf out of Cecil Gibson's pioneering monumental work that lead the charge when he referred to the model as 944 'Shell BP' 4000 gallon tanker, although even he added a couple of words that Meccano never used when describing this product, '4000 gallon'. Note: Cecil did not use the words 'Leyland Octopus'. So, I can only hope that this model will always be referred to as the 944 SHELL BP FUEL TANKER. (Tell this to your favourite auction houses!!) Finally, thank you for the explanations concerning Shell and BP. As far as I am aware in Australia these two companies were kept separate. During the 1930s, Australia had a multitude of petrol companies, including Plume, Vacuum, COR, Standard, and a whole host whose names I have forgotten. Somewhere in this house is a photograph my father took of the group of bowsers (petrol pumps for those who do not know!) in front of the garage where he worked. The garage was the agent for Dodge Brothers and other brands. The amusing thing is all these individual bowsers got their petrol from one tank. One week one company would fill it, the next another company and so on. At least it kept customers happy who favoured one brand over another! Bruce (150) #502

That's a cracker about the bowsers and the tank. The number of independants in the UK has sadly diminished over the last few years as the big companies squeeze them out. However at one time a huge number of 'Independant' companies could be seen with fully laden tankers coming out of the Shell/BP refineries in the UK!!!!!!!! Dave

Dave Glad you liked the 'bowsers and tank'. Here is a picture of the garage with the multitude of pumps! Six single and one double. And here is what the garage looked like - a solid brick building, or at least this is applicable to the building's facade, proudly promoting the products of Dodge Brothers! As for the multitude of petrol retailers, the same thing has happened here - many Independent service stations and at one time, many players in the refining and sales of petrol and their related products have slowly decreased over the years. In Australia, we had Mobilgas (Mobil), Esso (once called Atlantic), Caltex (Texaco elsewhere), BP, Ampol, Amoco, Neptune, Matilda and Golden Fleece. Now there is just four major players in Queensland and one minor, BP, Matilda, Mobil (operating under the retail arm of 7-Eleven), Caltex (most service stations are owned or leased by Woolworths Supermarkets and Shell also leased by Coles Supermarkets. Bruce (150) #511