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18-cent gas found in California today

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18-cent gas found in California today
Posted by markpierce on Monday, June 9, 2008 10:40 PM

On the way from Volcano to Murphys, California today, I passed through the village of Sheep Ranch.  I thought I'd pass along some information of interest to those worried about the impact of increasing gasoline costs on their model railroading hobby.

There I found gas posted at 18 cents per gallon.

Unfortunately, it took seventh-eighths of a tank of gas for a round trip between my home and Sheep Ranch.  Also, it doesn't look like the station has sold gas recently.

Mark

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Posted by WP 3020 on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 1:09 AM
Wow! Now that's a cool looking building. Reminds me of rafting, hunting and fishing trips.
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Posted by tstage on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 1:13 AM

Mark, 

You didn't by chance happen to get any close ups of that pump, did you?  She's a beauty.

Tom

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Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

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Posted by markpierce on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 2:54 AM
 tstage wrote:

Mark, 

You didn't by chance happen to get any close ups of that pump, did you?  She's a beauty.

Tom

My GF, a former photo-journalist, did.  I'll try to get you a close-up before week's end.

Mark

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Posted by markpierce on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 3:12 AM

 WP 3020 wrote:
Wow! Now that's a cool looking building. Reminds me of rafting, hunting and fishing trips.

A ways north of Sheep Ranch is Railroad Flat (no railroad ever existed there) where this building stands with a sign offering buffalo hunts:

Unfortunately, the picture isn't sharp enough to make out the sign on the left side of the building containing the advertisement.

Mark

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Posted by markpierce on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 3:46 AM
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Posted by markpierce on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 3:51 AM
Easy to tell who is the professional, isn't it?
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Posted by markpierce on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 4:17 AM

Come to think of it, these structure's architecture appears unique.  In particular, the porch in relation to the rest of the Sheep Ranch structure, and the front upper deck and stairway of the Railroad Flat structure.  There are hundreds of structures in the California gold country worthy of appreciation and emulation.

Mark

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Posted by markpierce on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 5:19 AM
 markpierce wrote:

 WP 3020 wrote:
Wow! Now that's a cool looking building. Reminds me of rafting, hunting and fishing trips.

A ways north of Sheep Ranch is Railroad Flat (no railroad ever existed there) where this building stands with a sign offering buffalo hunts:

Unfortunately, the picture isn't sharp enough to make out the sign on the left side of the building containing the advertisement.

Mark

I just noticed that the little stack coming from the roof is perpendicular to the sloping roof and is not at all vertical.  Interesting....

Mark

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Posted by jeffrey-wimberly on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 6:58 AM
I've seen a few stacks like that in Leesville on some of the older houses. Guess they couldn't find or afford a 45 degree mounting.

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Posted by dknelson on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 8:11 AM
 markpierce wrote:

It's good to know it is a Neighborhood Watch neighborhood.  All 32 residents are looking out for each other.   We wouldn't want any varmints to vandalize that wonderful old building.

Dave Nelson

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Posted by Heartland Division CB&Q on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 8:43 AM
I like that old gas station. Thanks for showing it. Any gas stations on your layout? Perhaps, the forum should have a model gas station photo thread.

GARRY

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Posted by Autobus Prime on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 11:05 AM
 dknelson wrote:
 markpierce wrote:

It's good to know it is a Neighborhood Watch neighborhood.  All 32 residents are looking out for each other.   We wouldn't want any varmints to vandalize that wonderful old building.

Dave Nelson



dk:

That's no joke. I'm surprised some Visigoth hasn't ripped off the signs to decorate some suburban steakhouse somewhere, or shotgunned the pump's bubble-top.
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Posted by twhite on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 11:11 AM

I've driven by that building advertising Buffalo Hunts.  Cracks me up.  Ah yes, lest we forget, the great Mother Lode Herd that roamed the foothills way back in the 1850's.  SUUUURRE!!

Seriously, those out of the way places off of Hwy. 49 are just charming.  And I'm so glad that for the most part, they remain pretty untouched.  Neat photos.  I'm going to have to head back down that way pretty soon. 

Tom Tongue [:P]

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Posted by markpierce on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 11:42 AM
 Autobus Prime wrote:
 dknelson wrote:
 markpierce wrote:

It's good to know it is a Neighborhood Watch neighborhood.  All 32 residents are looking out for each other.   We wouldn't want any varmints to vandalize that wonderful old building.

Dave Nelson



dk:

That's no joke. I'm surprised some Visigoth hasn't ripped off the signs to decorate some suburban steakhouse somewhere, or shotgunned the pump's bubble-top.

The residents in that territory are armed and do look out for each other.   Word of any misdeed would travel faster than one could drive due to the narrow, windy, and steep roads.  So be good or end up as road kill.

Mark

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Posted by lvanhen on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 3:36 PM
Mark,  I thought I hit the jackpot here in NJ this AM when I saw a Lukoil sign that said $3.11!!!  As I raced into the driveway, I saw it was closed!!  Where was that 18 cents again?Tongue [:P]
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Posted by twhite on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 8:38 PM
 markpierce wrote:
 Autobus Prime wrote:
 dknelson wrote:
 markpierce wrote:

It's good to know it is a Neighborhood Watch neighborhood.  All 32 residents are looking out for each other.   We wouldn't want any varmints to vandalize that wonderful old building.

Dave Nelson



dk:

That's no joke. I'm surprised some Visigoth hasn't ripped off the signs to decorate some suburban steakhouse somewhere, or shotgunned the pump's bubble-top.

The residents in that territory are armed and do look out for each other.   Word of any misdeed would travel faster than one could drive due to the narrow, windy, and steep roads.  So be good or end up as road kill.

Mark

Mark's right.  I was born and raised in the Sierra Nevada gold country, and you just don't mess with the natives around that area--all 200 miles or so of it, north to south.  The greater portion of the people that live around those areas are descendents of the original miners who settled there in the 1850's, and as far as they're concerned, if you can't trace your ancestry back to around that period, you're a "Foreigner."  They refer to the rest of the state as "Flatlanders", and God forbid you try any funny stuff while you're visiting.  That said, they're some of the most friendly, gregarious and ENTERTAINING people you're ever likely to meet.  Boy, do they have some great stories and Boy Howdy, do they like to tell them!  Just ask me, I've got tons of them myself Big Smile [:D]

All they (we) ask is that you are respectful of the territory. 

Tom Big Smile [:D]

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Posted by SteamFreak on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 10:03 PM
That is a cool looking old station, Mark. That pump would look great restored. I can't believe the price was stable enough back then that they could paint 18 cents on the illuminated globe! Sigh [sigh]
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Posted by markpierce on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 10:20 PM

 SteamFreak wrote:
I can't believe the price was stable enough back then that they could paint 18 cents on the illuminated globe! Sigh [sigh]

That was my thought, exactly.  The price of gas rose 10 cents a gallon the 36 hours between my fill-ups (before and after my road trip) at the Martinez, CA Chevron station on Morello and Muir.

Mark

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Posted by markpierce on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 11:28 PM

Another view, I believe in NE direction.  I really like the porch roof setup.

Mark

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Posted by Autobus Prime on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 11:51 PM

Folks:

We shouldn't feel *too* too bad about that 18c gas, since that amount in 1940 would be about $2.66 today,according to the AIER calculator...so, feel pretty bad, but not *too* too bad. :S

 

 

 Currently president of: a slowly upgrading trainset fleet o'doom.

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