SpaceGhost Posted April 28, 2014 Share Posted April 28, 2014 So there was an unmanned Shell station somewhere in town. If my memory serves correctly it was up on the far Northwest side of town. Does anyone remember where this was, or have any pictures? http://www.thefreelibrary.com/DIEBOLD+SURVEILLANCE+EQUIPMENT+ASSISTS+SHELL+OIL+WITH+UNMANNED+GAS...-a017086124 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cdubya Posted April 28, 2014 Share Posted April 28, 2014 It was on the corner of Jones Rd and 290. If you look at it on the map the address would be 17504 Jones Rd. I lived out that way in high school and drove past everyday. There is a strip center there now. I moved from the area in 2000, so I do not know when it was torn down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Pragmatist Posted April 28, 2014 Share Posted April 28, 2014 There was also an unmanned Exxon station in Tomball at the intersection of 2920 and 2978. I don't think it lasted even 2 years. I believe it too is now a Stripes station. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FilioScotia Posted April 28, 2014 Share Posted April 28, 2014 Oops. 17504 Jones Rd. is way way north of 290, just south of Louetta. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cdubya Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 Yeah that was an oops. Should be 17504 Northwest Freeway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FilioScotia Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 That's more like it. I drove past there on my way home to Copperfield every day in the 90s and well into the 2000s, but I don't remember an unmanned Shell gas station. I didn't stop there very often, but I did gas up at that very corner a few times, but I remember it was a Conoco gas station/convenience store. Do you remember the years the Shell outlet was there? It's not hard to figure out why unmanned gas stations didn't work out. They depend too much on the public's honor system, and they ignore the reality of vandalism and theft. They may as well have hung up a sign reading "Nobody is here to stop you. Vandalize Me." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brhaltx Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 There are other unmanned stations in Houston. A couple that come to mind: one on Shepherd (north of 610, south of 45), and one in Tomball on 2920... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 There may have been one on the corner of Hwy 529 & Hwy 6. Copperfield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FilioScotia Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 I lived in Copperfield just two miles from Hwy 6 and FM 529. There is an Exxon station that's been there since the 80s, but it has never been unmanned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 There was an "Exxon Express" at Kuykendahl and FM 1960, here is a picture I found (West Houston Archives) of it from 2008, in its since-closed state link It has since been demo'd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brhaltx Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 There was an "Exxon Express" at Kuykendahl and FM 1960, here is a picture I found (West Houston Archives) of it from 2008, in its since-closed state linkIt has since been demo'd. I remember that one. I think there was a gas station there before the unmanned one... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpaceGhost Posted May 1, 2014 Author Share Posted May 1, 2014 There are other unmanned stations in Houston. A couple that come to mind: one on Shepherd (north of 610, south of 45), and one in Tomball on 2920... Was the one in Tomball at the corner of 2920 and 2978? If so it has since been demolished. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 I remember that one. I think there was a gas station there before the unmanned one...It doesn't even look all much like an Exxon, decor's all wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brhaltx Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 Was the one in Tomball at the corner of 2920 and 2978? If so it has since been demolished. The one I'm talking about is still there. It's on 2920 (Main Street) near Alma and Buvinghausen. (Just east of business 249.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpaceGhost Posted May 2, 2014 Author Share Posted May 2, 2014 The one I'm talking about is still there. It's on 2920 (Main Street) near Alma and Buvinghausen. (Just east of business 249.) Ah finally found that one. It looks like it's a Fleet Services which means that the company requires people buying gas to belong to their service to do so. That's why the fleet stations AFAIK never have any sort of c-store attached. They make their money through membership rather than chips and coke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luminare Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 I remember Exxon installing one on 529 and Hwy 6. Family never really used it. Seemed kinda silly to me, but I guess it looked like the future to some Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talbot Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 I remember one that was on the southwest corner of Franz Rd. and Fry Rd. in the Katy area and now it is just an empty lot with a slab of concrete. I didn't like it, always seemed to have problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 The Shell at Jones and 290 seems to be one of the "hexagonal" Shell stations that I could find two or three others of (at least) elsewhere in town. So were the "unmanned" stations just pay at the pump with no convenience store? How did they make any money? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 There was another one that died within the last five years, "Gascard", located at Tacoma and Karbach. It was torn down in 2013 for an expansion of Karbach Brewing Co.'s facilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparrow Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 Smartmart. Memphis, TN. Google it. Why there's only one is beyond me--this one has been open since 1996!! Why haven't Exxon or Wal-Mart or Amazon or McDonalds bought (or copied) this sort of technology yet? It's too bad our Houston attempts at "unmanned" gas stations haven't been a Smartmart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
august948 Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 Don't know about completely unmanned, but some stations close down the convenience portions and leave the gas pumps open for business (credit or debit only, of course). I gassed up at one like that late one night somewhere near Navasota a few years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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