Try Dallas Model works.com. You can inventory your cars and locomotives for free. And it works on a Mac which I use
I made an Excel sheet, first page locomotives, and included manufacturer, model, road name, number, and paint scheme, along with places for what DCC decoder, sound, extra details, maintainance performed and when, price paid, and notes.
Second page is rail cars, including manufacturer, model, type of car, road name initials and number, paint scheme, loaded or not, what load if applicable, extra detailing, price paid, and notes.
Third page is accessories, including buildings, road vehicles, electronics accessories, and railroad specific tools. Includes price paid, manufacturer, type, and detail description of what it is.
Easy Model Railroad Inventory is available to download here. There is a comment pinned to the top with a link.
In regard to the original question of Spreadsheet or Software, I would say the answer is neither. A database is the answer. A spreadsheet is just a table that you can fill in. You can also do mathematical formulas like calculate the future value but it isn’t very flexible and to move anything you move everything.
The problem with dedicated software is that operating systems change and software becomes out of date and by now I’m sure many of you know that a lot of old software doesn’t like to run in new computers.
So building a database is the best answer. That is how businesses track their inventory. Each item is it’s own record, or entry. You can sort the items by any field you have created. If you just want to see locomotives you can only show locos. If you only want to see Santa Fe locos you can sort it like that also. Plus you can print sorted lists or use the address merge feature to print car cards.
Database software like Excel or MS Works are always updated and have a history of being backward compatible meaning all of your old databases can always be read by the updated software. So when you get a new computer all your files still work.
p.s. The guy with the paper and binder is the smartest because he will still have his list when the power goes out.
Old thread but, with the Access database from Dave H that I use, I added a “train show inventory” report (there’s one in there now - I think, or is it just that I added it in all the way, as in made a menu item for it and all so it looks like part of the program?) that is a simplified list of cars and locos that I can take along to shows as a checklist so I don’t buy duplicates. If you have enough equipment to need a spreadsheet or database to keep track of it all, you probably have too much to just remember when you go to shows. Thus far I have all my locos, rolling stock, structures, and DCC equipment logged. I have a copy of it where I set up the industries on my previous layout so I could generate switch lists and car cards, but never did quite get that far.
I did do some design work towards making a mobile version with basically the train show list, so I could just have it on my phone, and even add new purchases and have them synced back in when I got home. Maybe one of these days. I also have a design to integrate the settings from JMRI so I don’t have to enter loco roster information twice - Dave’s program already has fields for basic stuff like decoder brand and model and address. Plus I just have this thing about using XML text files as a ‘database’.
Years back when DOS and Windows 3.1 was all still a thing, I started a simple database for the club I belonged to, that would track some basic info about each loco and car, including who owned it and what color dot they were assigned (everyone had a color, stick a dot on the bottom of anything they owned, with their initials in it), plus it tracked member information and dues payment. Still have a copy floating around, not sure what it would run in these days, maybe that DosBox emulator that is used to play the old DOS games on modern computers.
–Randy
[quote user=In regard to the original question of Spreadsheet or Software, I would say the answer is neither. A database is the answer.
[/quote]
Software is the user interface to access the database. Both must be well designed so each functions to the utmost.
Yeah, but he still won’t be able to run trains! 