Western Railroad Discussion > UP Hits the Streets of the $6 a Gallon Gas World

Three times a week(M/W/F) UP's South San Francisco, CA-based LSF51 heads down
the Caltrain mainline to Redwood Jct. to serve customers at the Port of Redwood
City.  Highlight of the trip is when the diesel-fueled train gets to mix it up
with the (mostly)gasoline-fueled vehicles along eight blocks of street running
down Chestnut Street in Redwood City en route to the waterfront.

The 51 job is seen this morning at 10:30 approaching and crossing the busy
intersection of Chestnut and Middlefield Road behind the power of UP1516-1131.
Traffic signal light synchronization keeps things safe.  Operations on the
Redwood Harbor Industrial Lead can be monitored on 161.460.

Seriously?  You guys are upset over four bucks a gallon gas? 

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Great shots!

Great catch with the UP local LSF51.  Do you drivers have to get a loan to fill up your gas tanks-?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/01/26 14:23 by cozephyr.

thought it would be 8 dollars a gallon!!

Nice series, clean locomotives.

High test is about $4.60-$4.90 here in south Florida

Mike6640-2 Wrote:
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> thought it would be 8 dollars a gallon!!

Why would you think that?

Diesel is $7.26 this morning. He aint far off, thank you Sacramento.

Well here in PA with what I recall is the 2nd highest taxed gasoline state. I filled my ecomomy car with $4.20 a couple of days ago, cheap by today's California's offerings,  but my autocross race car will need premium. But funny how the differential between low octane and premium seems to shrink during these times of crises.
I am so happy that the Covid crisis drove me to work from home and I no longer need to spend 2 hours a day driving to and from an office where I can accomplish the same tasks from my home.
I am 80 years old, enjoy my work, and would probably retire if I still needed to commute. 
I'll stop at my take on why we Americans are now paying these exhorbatent prices for fuel. I'm sure you are all intelligent enough to figure out why...
Go

Gonut1 Wrote:
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> I'll stop at my take on why we Americans are now
> paying these exhorbatent prices for fuel. I'm sure
> you are all intelligent enough to figure out
> why...
> Go

Since we get none of our oil from Iran, it is mostly just good old-fashioned American price-gouging.

Topfuel Wrote:
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> Since we get none of our oil from Iran, it is
> mostly just good old-fashioned American
> price-gouging.

Not an accurate statement.

I'll avoid terms that may be considered too controversial, but oil price futures are priced globally. It doesn't matter where the oil comes from (Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia, Venezuela), the global supply and demand mechanics based on US$ determine the futures price.

Some regions around the world  charge consumers the actual priced paid for the oil, which would be based on past contract price. I verified that last week, where the price hadn't spiked yet.

Because we are brainwashed here in the U.S., we get charged the future price instead of the actual price paid. It's old fashioned greed that's been going on as far as I can remember. Anyway, in the near future, we'll be legitimately paying the higher price. I can go on, but I'll stop here.  
 

Topfuel Wrote:
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> Gonut1 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I'll stop at my take on why we Americans are
> now
> > paying these exhorbatent prices for fuel. I'm
> sure
> > you are all intelligent enough to figure out
> > why...
> > Go
>
> Since we get none of our oil from Iran, it is
> mostly just good old-fashioned American
> price-gouging.

Is it possible you don't understand what's happening?

milepost20 Wrote:
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> Seriously?  You guys are upset over four bucks a
> gallon gas? 

Thanks for the report.

It's all relative anyway. A more intelligent whining from Florida measured the price hike in percentages. Here's a good place to use ratios. (mocking laugh)

As commented above, diesel prices will really hurt us as there's no practical way to deliver essential goods "remotely" over the Internet, even if we stop driving and work from home to avoid paying for gasoline. Well, time for "out-of-the-box" thinkers to hype Star Trek style food replicators - wanna buy our stock?

milepost20 Wrote:
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>
> Seriously?  You guys are upset over four bucks a
> gallon gas? 

Seriously?  You presume to know what I think about current gasoline prices???



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/02/26 05:52 by RuleG.

It is different than the $2.43 we had in Texas.

 

eastlandt Wrote:
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> It is different than the $2.43 we had in Texas.
>
>  

While I'm from Arizona, I'd rather pay the $8 and enjoy life than suffer again through that gawdaful heat in Texas... 

Arizona can get pretty hot, as I recall.

ATSF1129 Wrote:
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> eastlandt Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > It is different than the $2.43 we had in Texas.
> >
> >  
>
> While I'm from Arizona, I'd rather pay the $8 and
> enjoy life than suffer again through that gawdaful
> heat in Texas... 

Just a week or so ago it was something like 107 degrees in Arizona. Does it get THAT hot in Texas?

HotWater Wrote:
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> ATSF1129 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > eastlandt Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > It is different than the $2.43 we had in
> Texas.
> > >
> > >  
> >
> > While I'm from Arizona, I'd rather pay the $8
> and
> > enjoy life than suffer again through that
> gawdaful
> > heat in Texas... 
>
> Just a week or so ago it was something like 107
> degrees in Arizona. Does it get THAT hot in Texas?

Yup, especially in summer in North Texas.  Four or five years ago we had 111º in DFW 😰

41 Wrote:
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> HotWater Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > ATSF1129 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > eastlandt Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > It is different than the $2.43 we had in
> > Texas.
> > > >
> > > >  
> > >
> > > While I'm from Arizona, I'd rather pay the $8
> > and
> > > enjoy life than suffer again through that
> > gawdaful
> > > heat in Texas... 
> >
> > Just a week or so ago it was something like 107
> > degrees in Arizona. Does it get THAT hot in
> Texas?
>
> Yup, especially in summer in North Texas.  Four
> or five years ago we had 111º in DFW 😰

Then there's that special kind of hell most people call Houston where 90 degrees and 90% humidity by 10 AM is just another day.

Don't be too upset about your four-dollar-a-gallon gas. We're between five and six here in Washington state now.  I think a few spots are even higher.