Howdy All, Can anyone recommend a program they like for keeping track of the locomotive and rolling stock inventory other than a simple MS Excel list? Thanks! Mike C.
I've been quite disappointed by some inventory software I purchased several years ago. At first it looked like exactly the type of program I wanted... data tables that would link with photos and display as a database form or list [Like a fancy MS Works database]. Unfortunately... the darn thing had bugs that the software designer couldn't fix... and ultimately stopped supporting. So... I lost about $30.00-$40.00 on that purchase. I haven't really done anything other than enter data into an MS Works file since then... but... it's not very impressive... so I gave up after entering only about 100 items. IIRC the company was called Treasure Soft... and was a general collectables type of inventory program. One of our advertisers [TrainCat] had a train inventory system several years ago... but AFAIK he has not continued to support it either for quite some time.
Here is a link to the program I use: http://musicmixradio.com/yardoffice/. Yard Office is a free download to try. Works good for me. Doug
Doesn't JMRI also have an inventory/roster application? I use it for layout control but I am pretty sure I have seen inventory mentioned by other users. If it is in there, like everything else in JMRI it will have a lot of functionality and the price will be right (free). JMRI link: http://jmri.sourceforge.net/ Jamie
Tried it. Hated it. Too steep of a learning curve. I was indoctrinated on YardOffice. and love it to pieces. The only catch, is that the designer has passed away, there aren't any more improvements. Also, YardOffice requires MS Visual FoxPro, which isn't stock on soem new computers now, because MS canned FoxPro. So if you have to find FoxPro, be sure you keep it in wherever you're loaded yardOffice for future reference. Also,
Another option is to keep records via hard copy. TrainBoard Advertiser RailroadMerchant offers a spiral bound heavy weight Inventory Record. I believe they will work with buyers who wish to purchase additional pages instead of multiple books for large inventories, but don't quote me on that one. Might not be as convenient as an electronic register, but certainly more elegant and something worthy to show off to visitors.
I did and it was the start of my company and the source of the current company name TRAIN CATalog. It was FoxPro based also and I pulled support when Vista came out and I had real problems that I could not control. FoxPro was extremely fickle in Vista and far more so in Win 7. I still use VFP at work and it gives me fits with Win 7. Here is a screenshot.
We had a similar program when I was at work, for keeping track of location maps, views and technical details of shelters at bus stops. I've no idea what it was called, but it worked a treat from what I saw of it. At home, I use dear old Microsoft Works Database. I'm sure there must be something similar for Apple. Regards, Pete Davies
I use an OpenOffice spreadsheet but plan to go to a real database one day. It works fine for me, and it's free. The only problem I had so far were self-made: I overwrote some lines instead of inserted new ones.
I was going to suggest something similar................use "Excel" or "Open Office" (whichever is available to you), and make your own. In "Excel" especially, you can customize almost endlessly, and it's FREE. I've never found an inventory program that was worth a d**n.
Mmmm... minor technical nit. OpenOffice is indeed free (and open source). Excel is anything but. Now, it may have come pre-installed on your computer, but in that case, the more accurate adjectival phrase would be "already paid for". Regardless, I agree with you on your main point. I've made a few stabs at building a "real" database, and have had a hard time justifying the extra work required over and above a spreadsheet implementation. My current "database" is a Google Docs Spreadsheet. Nice because I can view and edit it on multiple computers, and at least view it on my iPhone.
I use Microsoft Access, which was included in my Office 2003. It is a database programm that lets you define the parameters. Fred
I use the "My Railroad" feature on Dallas Model Works. I'm sure some of the ones listed already in this thread are very good, DMWs allows you to inventory, do maintenance logs, create custom car cards, it will also track the industries on your layout and create car order requests as well having built in fast clocks for you to use. For engines you can also track DCC settings too. And it's free.
Yes, you are correct..........did not mean to imply that "Excel" was "free", it is not. I was just operating under the assumption that almost everyone has it, and the cost of using it, as opposed to buying inventory software is free.
Nobody pointed this before? http://easy-model-railroad-inventory.rclsoftware.com/download/download.htm I've read only good thinks about it.
I like the K.I.S.S. principle. I've tried a number of products and all require more effort and time, and a number are cumbersome, a number don't work as advertised, plus eat up space on the puter or a CD. That said way back when I had used Lotus 123, then later switched to Excel. In keeping it simple you just don't need all that many fields and by using some simple abreviations you can keep everything on a standard 8 x 11 sheet of paper. Data I keep is car length, car number, car type, road name, and a comments section for things like MTs or color. I class my car length in 30, 34, 40, 45, 47, 50, and the occasional odd size. The most important thing to me is roadname and car number. With close to 900 freight cars keeping track of the road number is important to not have 10 cars all the same number. Since Excel allows me to search by car type, ie: boxcar 50 ft. GN I can quickly tell if my new purchase needs to have a number changed. Since my loco fleet does not outnumber or even come close to my car fleet I don't bother with anything for that except a simple Word document that lists locomotive inventory for insurance purposes. With Excel I can sort by any of the fields and quickly produce a list by on my printer with no real effort. I can keep both the loco list and the freight car Excel list on a single CD with a back-up copy. And Excel is part of the MS Office package on my puter so why not use it.
There is also a program by Shenandoah Software. http://www.shenware.com/ It is designed to co-exist with a couple of other programs that will fit in the Car-Cards system of model railroad operation and the NMRA operations group. Support is by the owner/programer himself and a Yahoo user's group. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ShenWare/?yguid=42623417 As a pc idiot, I can't tell you how much space, etc, the thing uses, but I am an purchaser and have been slowly loading my stuff in it without too many problems (as it takes away time I would rather use on the layout). Any real problems I have encountered were solved by making the keypunch operator (me) take the rest of the night off. Wayne Wayne
