My layout is approaching "completion," which, as we all know, is something that never really happens. However, for the sake of argument, let's define "completion" as "covering over the last visible pink foam."
I've been thinking of joining a club once I don't have as much to do on my own layout, but now, besides travel time, I've got to factor in travel cost as well.
I've always tried to combine trips, so going to the LHS is still something I do on the way home from work (saves a few miles) or in combination with other shopping at the beer/wine store and the Oriental grocery. This summer, though, I may ride my bicycle to the LHS when the purchases are small enough to fit in a pocket.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Yes it has cut down on my trips to the LHS. Up here gas is $1.30/litre, a litre is about 1 US quart therefore gas is # 5.20 /gallon. Im retired on a fixed income, may have to go back to work to eat. Dont you just love oil speculators?
Dave
Has the increase in gas prices cut into MRRing? No, not really. Like many others I've got enough projects to working on to keep me busy for quite awhile. The odd parts and supplies that might be needed aren't that much and coordinating the trip to the LHS with other errands is just the wise thing to do. The one's the increase is really affecting are those on some kind of fixed income like retirees. There are others I hear complaining that quite frankly I have little sympathy for and think need to reevaluate their priorities. If you're spending more money on your MRR hobby than you are on food, clothing etc. or are delaying purchase of food and other essentials so you can buy a few new pieces of rolling stock, scenery, etc. then your priorities are messed up. This is after all a hobby and should be on the bottom of the list as to where limited finances get spent.
jeffrey-wimberly wrote: kenkal wrote:Uh, Jeffrey, maybe you want to check he calculations again? The difference is a lot less than calculated. Was gas really around 95 cents a gallon in 2005? ;o) KenIt was here.
kenkal wrote:Uh, Jeffrey, maybe you want to check he calculations again? The difference is a lot less than calculated. Was gas really around 95 cents a gallon in 2005? ;o) Ken
Oh come on Jeff! What are you sniffing?? Follow this link and go to page 4. Sure, they note that Lousiana had some of the lowest gas prices in the country, but they still report the average price in LA on 06/03/05 at $2.12/gal - that's more than 200% more than what you talking about. There's stretching the truth a little and then there's *****.
http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/900836_gasoline_prices.pdf
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
My local hobby shop is exactly one mile from my house and the UPS truck comes right to my door, so even if gas goes to $20 a gallon it won't impede my hobby. If worse comes to worse, I can walk to the hobby shop. The gas station is farther from my house than the hobby shop. My house is 3 blocks from a bus stop, and that bus goes to the light rail station.
In a couple of years when the spousal unit can retire, too, we won't HAVE to drive at all except for groceries, and the grocery store is right across the street from the gas station.
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
loathar wrote: I wish I had my brothers old 1983 Honda Civic that got 35 mpg.25 YEARS AGO!!!
Some of the older Honda Civics were tiny beer can's on wheels and death traps in major accident. The old VW Rabbits got over 40 and the diesels version over 50 hwy.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
A coworker at my office just bought a Toyota Prius hybrid. He actually got over 50 mpg on the hwy.
I bought a Toyota RAV4 two years ago and it gets decent mileage by SUV standards. I mail order most of my stuff so other than not making unnecessary trips, no major effect so far.
Well, I bought gas today at $1.30 a litre - thats $4.94 for an American gallon, or $5.85 for a good, old-fashioned Imperial gallon - a far cry from the $.34 I payed for an Imperial gallon when I started driving, back in the '60s. Still, no real effect yet on the hobby. I go railfanning locally whenever I feel like it, and to the hobbyshop (about 30 miles, round trip) at least once a week. I'm also hoping to do some railfanning, model train shopping, and visiting of friends in Ohio and Pennsylvania later this summer. It'll be nice to get some cheap gas for a change.
Wayne
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
The only thing gas prices have done to me is make me consolidate trips. And once I park the car, I leave it there if the other places I'm going to are not very far or don't require crossing a road that's probably none too safe to cross on foot.
That and not fill up the tank. I get around half a tank now every time I need to get gas. $25 every 10 days seems less painful than $50 every two weeks somehow.
Although I sure miss where I lived the last three years. I walked to everywhere except the supermarket and the mall. I got gas around once a month, and that was usually because I was driving somewhere 180 miles away. I got gas exactly nine times in 2006.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
twhite wrote: Okay, call me Un-American or whatever, but I have a German car. An Audi. My second car is a '63 VW Bug. A real Bug. Authentic. From the Black Forest, built by Elves. I use the Audi for longer trips, the VW for around town. Both are in the 40+MPG range, so I don't feel the pinch as much as a lot of the rest of you--and believe me, you have my sympathy. These cars were designed primarily for the Autobahn and in Germany (and the rest of Europe) gas prices have ALWAYS been what we're just starting to experience. Last time I was in Germany, about three years ago, the price was the American equivalent of an American Mob kidnapping ransom per Liter. So by necessity, German cars are more fuel-efficient. With that out of the way, I'm still cancelling some long-range trips this summer. One I've left open--at least for the time being--is a trip to Colorado to ride the Durango & Silverton in July. Taking AMTRAK from here to Grand Junction and PRAYING that the Hertz in Grand Junction will have a fuel-efficient car for me to rent to drive down to Durango and tool around Southwestern Colorado for about a week. Which, I believe, will cost at LEAST the amount of the AMTRAK round-trip sleeper ticket. If not--well, THAT trip is cancelled. But as far as eating into my hobby budget, I haven't seen a real chunk--as yet, because I don't really use gas that much--most of the conveniences that I use are pretty handy, within a couple of blocks, and the two hobby shops I frequent are each about 8 miles away. But I'll tell ya--if it keeps up, I'll probably be screaming as loud as everyone else! From what I hear, it's not the oil companies as much as the idiots investing heavily in 'quick-return' Futures. I don't know how true it is, but if so, those greedy idiots need a really INTENSE lesson in History. Like, say, studying the year 1929 VERY thoroughly!Tom
Okay, call me Un-American or whatever, but I have a German car. An Audi. My second car is a '63 VW Bug. A real Bug. Authentic. From the Black Forest, built by Elves. I use the Audi for longer trips, the VW for around town. Both are in the 40+MPG range, so I don't feel the pinch as much as a lot of the rest of you--and believe me, you have my sympathy. These cars were designed primarily for the Autobahn and in Germany (and the rest of Europe) gas prices have ALWAYS been what we're just starting to experience. Last time I was in Germany, about three years ago, the price was the American equivalent of an American Mob kidnapping ransom per Liter. So by necessity, German cars are more fuel-efficient.
With that out of the way, I'm still cancelling some long-range trips this summer. One I've left open--at least for the time being--is a trip to Colorado to ride the Durango & Silverton in July. Taking AMTRAK from here to Grand Junction and PRAYING that the Hertz in Grand Junction will have a fuel-efficient car for me to rent to drive down to Durango and tool around Southwestern Colorado for about a week. Which, I believe, will cost at LEAST the amount of the AMTRAK round-trip sleeper ticket. If not--well, THAT trip is cancelled.
But as far as eating into my hobby budget, I haven't seen a real chunk--as yet, because I don't really use gas that much--most of the conveniences that I use are pretty handy, within a couple of blocks, and the two hobby shops I frequent are each about 8 miles away.
But I'll tell ya--if it keeps up, I'll probably be screaming as loud as everyone else! From what I hear, it's not the oil companies as much as the idiots investing heavily in 'quick-return' Futures. I don't know how true it is, but if so, those greedy idiots need a really INTENSE lesson in History. Like, say, studying the year 1929 VERY thoroughly!
Tom
You know, you should take the bug. It's compact enough you could proably fit it in the bike hangar on the Superliner.
Well, since I'm here, Gas hasn;t bitten my busdget yet either. Course, for the immediate, I'm on Mom;s gas card, until I have an opportunity to get a job. Then it'll matter. We really need a better infrastructure
-Morgan
-Ken in Maryland (B&O modeler, former CSX modeler)
lvanhen wrote:My LHS is about 15 miles away (there are 2 closer but not as well stocked) so a $4 trip is now $6! Very annoying, but not going to make me stop going there!! BTW, I have a 20 mpg mini van and HATE small cars!!!!! BUY AMERICAN - THE JOB YOU SAVE MAY BE YOUR OWN!!!!!!
I already drive a minivan. An AMERICAN made one. Gas was $1.00 - $1.20 when I bought it 7 years ago. I hate small cars too. But in the interest of stretching my disability budget, may need a gas sipper to get around.
Long trips to tourist railroads and museums and hobby shops (part of this hobby to me) are going to be severely limited or cut out this summer.If I spend the $$$ on that, I won't have it to spend on the layout.
Was just wondering if others were in the same boat. There seems to be A LOT of people COMPLAINING about the price of gas, yet claim it won't affect what they do. If that is the case, they shouldn't be complaining!
Even IF oil comes down in price, it will still ALWAYS go up!
-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.
No change here. My spending is down due to fewer new releases from the manufacturers over the past few years, not due to gasoline prices.
Engineer Jeff NS Nut Visit my layout at: http://www.thebinks.com/trains/
MY CLUB HOUSE IS 60 MILES AWAY ( 120 ROUND TRIP ). I WOULD GO TO THE CLUB HOUSE MAYBE 3 TIMES A WEEK, NO MORE. SATURDAY IS MEETING DAY ( IST SAT. OF THE MONTH ). YEA, I'M GOING TO TRAVEL THE MILES THAT USE TO BE SMILES. NEVER THROUGH I WOULD SEE THIS COUNTRY BECOME A THIRD WORLD COUNTY. IT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH RIDING A BIKE TO THE CLUB HOUSE ( HUMMM!! HARLEY MAYBE ).
HERE HOPPING WE ALL HIT THE LOOTO, BAYOUMAN.
From the Black Forest, built by Elves.
Those guys also make cookies don't they?
Actually, because of the gas prices, I'm starting to spend more time at home and on the layout. I have a closet full of kits and supplies that need to be completed so financially it really hasn't changed much. I plan on a short vacation at the end of June and my daughters wedding in July, gas prices are one of many drains on my wallet lately.
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
Little, if at all. My wife and I plan our trips more carefully, and I now pay cash for all hobby items, as I finally got tired of the hobby following me home in the form of a credit card bill.
Patience keeps my trips to the LHS down to once or twice a month. There are a few ebay buys, but overall the amount allocated for the hobby hasn't changed but a bit due to the shift in payment mechanisms. After the monthly trip there is a flurry of activity on the layout, then minor projects or the continuation of weathering or detailing projects till trip time the following month. Patience, patience, patience.
As to railfan events, we tend to stay local for those when and if they occur, and save for vacations that both of us can enjoy, such as cruises, trips with the grandchild and such.
In a couple of words, it hasn't. My driving distance has come WAY down since my final retirement, so I have no heartburn about the high price of the fuel I don't buy.
That may change if my petrol bill rises above my vehicle insurance bill...
What I love is the computer-generated, "We think you're coming due for maintenance..." mail from my vehicle service agency. It's geared to people who drive farther in a month than I drive in a year.
Of course, I expect that what would have been several single-purpose tourist/railfan trips will be combined into a single multipurpose circle tour - which means that I'll actually spend LESS than I would have under the old system. Let's hear it for efficient planning.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
Gas here just hit $3.98 a gallon. We are down to one car, a 2002 Ford Explorer which travels about 8K miles a year or less ( yes, we are retired ). This car can be teased to get 21 MPG with level roads, tires at 32 psi, and not loaded with passengers or cargo, and an egg between my foot and the accelerator. It has not effected going to my LHS yet, as I go once a month. This is a 28 mile round trip. However, talking to the owner of my LHS, it has most definitely effected his business. Some of his regulars would gather at his store every Friday afternoon and evening, but now they only come once a month. Most are retired, and when you are on FIXED income, it is guns or butter ( Economics 101 ) or in this case, MRR or Butter. ( For you young ones that can't balance a checkbook yet, go to college and you will understand finances better.)
Now as for that comment about Gas station owners....this is a huge misconception as to WHO is making all the money. Please understand the bigger picture here. The U.S. dollar has been on a skid for years, and now is at an alltime low. The Saudis get paid for their barrels of oil in dollars. BUT, our dollars are worth far less than several years ago, so the Saudis are not happy campers. So what do they do.....they raise the price of a barrel of oil. And to make matters worse, we have investors called "Speculators" who buy oil on the Futures Market. What does this do? It runs the price of a barrel up and up and up. In simple terms, if I have one apple to sell, and 3 people want to buy this one apple, they will bid the price up ( you know like EBay? ) And now the Speculators come along with their money and they bid the price up even higher as they purchase barrels of oil, or apples in this simple example.
A point of interest, Exxon made around $25B in profit last year, but they also spend $14B trying to find more oil. They did find some small amount of oil, enough for 1 year sales, not so great is it? The point is, it is easy to critize what we don't understand, we need to understand the bigger picture. And the world is pumping oil at 78 million barrels a day to meet demand. The demand is due to hit over 100 million barrels soon due to China, India and other developing countries. Hang on to your wallets and lock your gas cap.
Bob Berger, C.O.O. N-ovation & Northwestern R.R. My patio layout....SEE IT HERE
There's no place like ~/ ;)