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Old 01-25-2021, 10:36 PM   #6
ericthered
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Default Re: [HT] Cost of a Stagecoach Ticket

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jinumon View Post
Any idea when this article was written? I'd be interested to see how their "$3,000 modern" measures up to the GURPS $ (2004 USD unless I'm mistaken).

Jinumon

EDIT: I should also note this carriage carried 9 passengers and was drawn by 4 mules, not 6 horses, which undoubtedly shakes up the formula.
Their example "stagecoach" is arguably not a stagecoach.


A little light research indicates that stage coaches were run continuously, without stopping. It seems to have been one of the quirks of the transportation, that you had to sleep while it was moving.



For the inflation, we just have to remember that the numbers are for "1860's", which means the cost was between 4,500 and 2,300 dollars. The cheapest point is actually 1865: the US dollar did funny things during the civil war. I'm not entirely sure it would have any real effect out west away from the war.



Rail lines were generally cheaper than coach. A quick perusal of Wikipedia says Omaha to San Fransisco by train was $65 , a third of the stage price. I know that most my ancestors came west by train, because it was so much cheaper and easier than previous methods.
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