i thought this would be a great topic since gas prices are going up. i just started watchign trains in december so i havent expierenced this yet. but i think i will w/ gas prices at $3.09 here. i think if it goes up more it will mean this to me less trips to yards & other areas, try to go to closer areas.
how about you?
Gas is not revelant unless it gets to about 5.00 a gallon on our budget. Or they go back to the old Odd-even days of the past. It will take about 5.50 a gallon to break our ability to go to work and run errands.
There are alternatives, at least in my case:
I can bike to a number of good spots within 15 miles of home–if I stretch it to 20, I might surprise the regulars at Eola!
Bike to work–a couple of days when the car doesn’t go anywhere make you feel better about taking it to that spot that’s further away.
Combine the train-watching trips with other essential errands, such as shopping, pursuing the wife’s hobby, etc. Got one of those coming up on Monday.
I like to go out in the pickup, but when gas is over $3 then I take my fiancee and her car and split the gas. It’s a good deal really. Aledo is a long way from good locations.
I figure it’s OK for now. That’s pretty much all the hobby costs me is gas and time. That makes it a pretty cheap hobby.
…Where I normally try to put myself in position to catch a few trains is right here inside of Muncie and we live 5 miles from city center. So that’s not too far to drive.
I can do that with out any real problem {even for a retired person}, and we make trips into town most every day anyway…
But…If gas price continues to rise at the rate it has in the last 3 months, it will effect much of the population for essential trips…work, and all the rest. It’s been 3.19 for a few days here and still is some places. Put fuel in today and purchased fuel for lawn tractor for 3.07. Have a special card that gets us 3 cents off on gas…Big deal…
If it continues to make the run up in price as it’s been doing it will effect and hurt a lot of our population and coming into the vacation driving season…It will make some difference in that traffic.
Not at all.
It’s never even been a consideration. Of course I don’t like high gasoline prices, but it’s not like we get a choice, right? Plus, living in greater Chicagoland, you don’t have to drive very far in any direction to see plenty of trains. I’m four miles from the BNSF Chicago racetrack, eight miles from the UP Overland Route, and four miles from the BNSF Transcon. Eola Yard, a great sight for watching trains, is about 15 to 25 minutes away, depending on the time of day.
Maybe in that respect we’re lucky.
What makes me laugh is that people who complain about a jump in gas prices to $3.10 a gallon have no problem paying $1.25 or more for a 16 oz. bottle of filtered tap water at a convenience store that also sells gasoline. That’s over $10 a gallon for water…
PZ
I feel pretty lucky to live where most of my daily activities coincide with railroad tracks nearby. I have a North-South and two East-West routes, and railyard with me right in the middle of them of them all.Even going to several of my freinds homes the road parallels the tracks, I kill two bird with one stone. I don’t have to waste much gas to get to go train spoting because I don’t have to venture far off my normal route so gas prices really haven’t affected me so far.
I try to combine gas expense to one of the LHS’s after work. When my time is up Im only about 10 miles instead of how ever many miles away so I combine the two. Sometimes I even catch the other one on the way home if the traffic is too bad in the rock.
I could cut my spending for trains about 80% and withstand 7 dollar gas for a time. I dont think too many people will be driving those pickups at 80 mph too far on teh freeway commute.
It all depends on the pickup! My Toyota X-cab gets better mileage on regular than a lot of my friends’ sedans get on mid-grade. Back when I was doing a lot of freeway running, I routinely exceeded 25mpg. Of course, it can only reach 80MPH downgrade with a following wind…[:-^]
These days the pickup gets used for local chores. I fill it once a month whether it needs fuel or not…[:)]
The alternate vehicle, my wife’s RAV4, gets better mileage, but doesn’t travel very many miles!
Chuck
Nope, I throw the camera and a picnic lunch in the sidecar of my motorcycle and have at it! Phooey on gas prices.
I try to stay at one spot as much as is possible, but if I can’t see anything thanks to a stopped string of autoracks, then it will be time to move.
I have a Ford escape, which is OK on mileage and only needs $35 to fill it at the end of the week at current prices ($3.069 which will be $3.129 by next Friday I figure).
Since I am about three miles from my favorite train watching spot I don’t think gas prices will ever keep me away, however I may not sit with the engine running to keep the car warm when the weather is too cold to watch trains with the motor and heat off ever again.
ya i aint anywhere close to yards & such. if i could drive i would get a moped & take that & drive it around since they get good gas milage. any way ya 40 miles to stevens point , 30 to neenah, 40 to fond du lac. ya w/ the people who got motorcycles as someone mentioned thet gets good gas too so thats one efficient way.
Nope.
I go now more then ever, in part because of the nice, camera-friendly weather we are having.
If I want to watch the UP Adams line, I just look out my front door. Gas spent: $0. Other than that, I don’t really chase trains. My routes to the train club parallels the CP most of the way, so if I see a train, bonus. 
If not, oh well.
You’re asking people that pay 1 to $2,000.00 for model locomotives and some report they have anywhere from 100 to 1500 locomotives and 3000 cars what they think of gas prices? they really don’t care.
Come over here. Then you will really know the meaning of high petrol prices…[censored]
You’re right! 
…It’s my understanding your “Petrol” is taxed much higher and provides social items we pay for ourselves here in the USA.
Like comparing apples and oranges.