The Home Machinist!

With gas over $4 and diesel over $5, I for one will be cutting back my plans. It now costs me 39 cents per mile just to drive my diesel truck with camper and trailer down the road. The fuel costs for round trips to the three closest tracks are $144, $132 and $170 respectively. A trip to Train Mountain would be $390 just for fuel. Add in a few restaurant meals and incidentals and I think I'll only be making two more trips this year.

How about you?

Well Greg,
I always figured this great hobby came at "the rate of enjoyment" and I knew getting into this 20 years ago it wasn't going to be cheap, but there were ways to economize and still produce very reasonably looking models. Chalk that up to ingenuity.

Yes, the price of fuel has gone up and will probably continue to do so. Will $5 gas be ticking away at the pumps before year end? How about $6 per gallon? One of the more interesting points about the cost per barrel of oil these days...why hasn't the cost of lubricants, plastics or other petrochemical byproducts gone up at the same rate as gasoline? Hmmmm.

For now, I just consider the cost of travel as part of the hobby. I'm not about to lock myself in the house 'cause I can't fill the gas tank. If you can't (or won't) fill the tank today...what are you going to do tomorrow? I may think twice before considering a long distance trip, but if I want to railroad at other tracks, I'll just have to set aside some play money. Other comments? Carl B.

YES - The price of fuel is increasing. It will continue to do so. Get used to the idea of $5.00+/gallon fuel. Until this country makes itself independent of foreign oil we will have these prices or more. I for one don't want to go back to the stone age trying to exist without oil. This country needs to exploit the areas where oil can be found within our borders and stop buying oil on the global market. So a few animals are displaced, SO WHAT. I don't think coal is the answer for power generation, too dirty and what are the costs in diesel for transport? Is nuclear power the answer? I think it is. Back to the basic question - cost of fuel to attend meets. I don't think I will cut back. You only go around once and must make the most of it. Earlier this year I traveled from my home in Reno, NV to Rancho Cordova, CA (SVLSRM) and down to the Northern Nevada Live Steamers track in Minden, NV and it cost me $142 to fill my diesel truck. You know its going to cost and you plan for it. Bill

It won't affect me. I had a feeling a long time back that gas prices would go sky high. Bought a new truck (big V8 Tundra) and a new travel trailer last year. Wife and I plan on making trips regardless with and without trains.
At our age, I figure we have about 5 years of decent travel days left, if we stay healthy.

Cheers,

JohnY

$4 bucks thats a bargain...

In Australia, its abt 1.63 per litre (5.38cents a gallon), living in Adelaide, the yearly conventions that go around the state, its about 2000 to 4000km a round trip

but luckly the local club is only a 13min drive...

Greg_Lewis wrote:With gas over $4 and diesel over $5, I for one will be cutting back my plans. It now costs me 39 cents per mile just to drive my diesel truck with camper and trailer down the road. The fuel costs for round trips to the three closest tracks are $144, $132 and $170 respectively. A trip to Train Mountain would be $390 just for fuel. Add in a few restaurant meals and incidentals and I think I'll only be making two more trips this year.

How about you?

Greg your always welcome to come up here, 100 mile round trip at 39 cents would be $39.00.

I'm planning on the Narrow Gauge meet at BCW in August. 400 mile round trip at 8 mpg, at who knows what price per gallon. At least the truck has been paid for for many years, still cheaper then payments on something newer that would get better millage.

David

My 2005 Dodge diesel is also paid for. Nice feeling. My train trailer weighs about 6000 pounds loaded and I get around 15 MPG at 65 - 70 MPH. From my home near Reno, NV I must climb Donner Pass to get to the SLVSRM in Rancho Cordova, CA. That is a climb from 4400 feet to over 7000 feet. I make that climb in cruise control and in OD. I get 15.5 going to SLVSRM and about 13.5 returning to Reno. Further to climb on the way back. Bill

AusDan wrote:$4 bucks thats a bargain...

In Australia, its abt 1.63 per litre (5.38cents a gallon), living in Adelaide, the yearly conventions that go around the state, its about 2000 to 4000km a round trip

but luckly the local club is only a 13min drive...

1.63 bucks thats a bargin.

Here in New Zealand its over $2.00 per litre.

In reading my last post I noticed an error. It should read SVLSRM, not SLVSRM.

I'll know more about what mileage I get on flatland driving in about a week or so. I leave Tuesday morning for a trip to Salt Lake City, UT for a run at the S&S Shortline RR.

Bill

just filled up last night £ 1.26 liter


£6.93 imp gall


not sure what the $/£ rate is but its getting a bit dear now


about $13 /imp gal
glad the new toyota Auris does 54 mpg ( 2 liter turbo diesel )

Over the past 30+ years, I have accumulated something like $100,000 worth of machinery / tools, built a house with a 4000 sq ft basement / shop, invested $1000's of in rough castings and man-years in creating my form of steam locos and supporting those that are also interested in the hobby.

When we travel to a 'far track' (400 miles or so), we spend $400+ on hotel rooms and food for the weekend, to say nothing of the cost of that 'transport truck' that really does little for me except haul the steamer and the occasional load of salt and 4 x 8 sheets of plywood.

As much as I hate to admit it, $100 for a tank of gas is peanuts in comparison.

Will $5.00 gas and associated higher costs cause OTHERS to think twice - or thrice - about getting into the hobby? Probably.

Will it maybe cause a resurgence of the smaller, hencel less expensive and easier to transport, gauges...????

Hopefully.

bcody wrote:YES - The price of fuel is increasing. It will continue to do so. Get used to the idea of $5.00+/gallon fuel. Until this country makes itself independent of foreign oil we will have these prices or more. I for one don't want to go back to the stone age trying to exist without oil. This country needs to exploit the areas where oil can be found within our borders and stop buying oil on the global market. So a few animals are displaced, SO WHAT. Bill

Surprise! Something else Bill and I can agree on....

I haven't decided what I'm going to do this summer. I've been invited to a couple of meets but fuel costs are definately figuring into my decision.

Andy Pullen