Are gas prices cutting short your steam or museum trips this summer?
We were hoping to do several, but now may only do one real close, as the cost of gas to get to them could hurt the budget like never before.
So are you cutting out trips, cutting down trips due to cost of fuel??
-G
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
I live in Brookfield Ill., and I'll be luckey just to get out to Union Ill.this year!!!!!!
I too am fortunate to live in an area (Scotland, UK) where there is plenty of public transport. Gas prices affects all transport of course but not nearly to the same extent as a private car. So I doubt there will be any difference for me this year. In actual fact I might have more time on my hands this year so I'll be able to get about a bit more .
One thing I try to do is get better at making use of trips I am taking anyway. For example I had to go to Glasgow for a meeting with work a few months ago so I booked onto a later train home the next day and managed to get to the transport museum on the same trip - saved paying to get there myself! Later in the summer I'll be going to the Lake District with work so I'm planning right now how to combine a visit to a steam railway or two.
blue streak 1 wrote:Well the side trips and viewings are going down as my employer does not want to fly me instead wants me to drive. Up to 1000 miles and will not increase the mileage allowance (30 cents/mile) needless to say ....... !
Thats not bad actually I dont know what kind of car you drive but my V8 ford gets 20-25mpg highway so times that by 30 cents a mile thats like $6-7 per gallon of gas you would be getting paid for so if you get good milage you would actually be getting a little extra back... right?
Uh oh here we go lol
Say your car gets 20mpg and you go 1000 miles thats 50 gallons of gas at say $4.50 a gallon thats $225
30 cents a mile for 1000 miles would give you $300 so basicly your getting paid $75 to drive yourself there and the company is paying for the gas lol IDK that doesnt sound to bad I would rather do that than fly
It all depends on the price of gas and what your car or whatever gets MPG wise though... my head hurts now
Yup, the ol' depreciation, maintenance, and don't forget to save up to replace the car...that's outside of depreciation. The depreciation is just a loss of value, it doesn't get you a new beastie when this one gasps its last.
To address the question, we are now biking more than ever, and I don't mean on scooters or a motorcycle. I means puff-puff, sweat, paniers, checking chains....beats the heck out of oil and gas, plus all the things we've just talked about above.
Our Canadian news media tells us that the effects seem to be felt greater in your country, American friends, and that patterns of purchasing and driving have really begun to change quickly. It doesn't seem to be the case here just yet, but I think it will come. Our dollar is slowly losing its death grip on the greenback, and it will settle once again near 0.89 - 0.93 in the next few months because inflation is beginning to exact a toll. Things will be that much more expensive on exchange, and once local produce is consumed and imports from CA and other places have to take over, watch driving take a hit when the rise in cost of consumables reflects transportation costs.
Theres a solution to this...more webcams!
Electrons dont need no stinkin gas...Yeah, I know, I'm lazy
Have fun with your trains
Barbara & I just returned to Illinois from the Great Southwest. We rode the steam trains. Rio Grande Scenic at Alamosa, The Durango & Silverton, and the Cumbres & Toltec as well as the Verde Valley with the FP7s. We skipped the Grand Canyon Railway because the steamer was not available that day. I encourage everyone to ride one of these trains. The sound of a steam engine working the grade is beautiful. Gettin soot in the hair and on the face is just like it was in my father's time. Priceless We knew that gas was expensive, but also it was not going to get any cheaper, so we did it. Our little Toyota Matrix averaged 35mpg for the 4847 miles. That is still a lot of money for gas. I know I will do less railfanning in my pickup this year. Just going to Rochelle will be about $70 for gas.
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