Like many, I have a large quantity of old BBs, RR flea market purchases and new unbuilt kits waiting for my attention.
Before I just start working thru them, I thought it might be useful to set up a master list of what I have, what status each car is in- couplers, trucks, wheels, current weight, and what is needed to upgrade each- again- what couplers, proper weight needed, prototypical tricks, metal wheels, etc.
I know this may be a project in itself, particularly the research, but has anyone done something similar before they started working on their backlog of kits and old stuff?
Any advice on methods or best sources of proto info would be appreciated.
The simplest way to do it is to build a spreadsheet with the data elements as columns and each row as one kit. The spreadsheet will let you sort or filter the data.
If you have experience using database software, which I am guessing you do not or you wouldn’t have asked the question, you could build a database that did the same thing but had input forms and drop down menus for the various data fields, plus could generate canned reports for the various criteria you want.
I doubt a commercial model railroad inventory program would have the fields that you would want.
I dunno, Ron, but this sounds to me to be just another way to put off the work. [:-^] [(-D]
I generally modify the kits as I build them: simple ones, usually requiring metal sill steps, wire grabs, new roofwalks, underbody brake gear and couplers are done en masse, while more major rebuilds are done individually or in groups of similar types. These ones may include, in addition to the aforementioned alterations, new doors, ends, roof, and/or underbodies. In most cases, painting and weathering are done only after a suitable number of cars are ready.
I keep a spreadsheet of the my rolling stock and locos. I make one colum the Railroad, the next the unit/ road number, third type of car or loco, and fourth the MRR manufacturer . Not only do have a list of what I have but I can also print it out before I go the hobby shop to make sure I dont get repeating road numbers
To Dngnrr: I downloaded it and took a look at it as well (Yard Office). This will be a great start for my inventory project- and I don’t even have to build the spreadsheet or make a table myself- how do you like that!
Thanks very much for the link![:)]
To DocWayne: Yeah, it might look like I’m kicking the can down the road a bit (getting around to those old car kits and such), but the real point is economics- I don’t want to nickel and dime myself on parts purchases every time I open a box up. I want to get a realistic cost basis for X amount of a certain type of truck or how many of which type of Kadee couplers I would need, etc, in order to approach the job in a cost-effective way. After all, it’s not like I’m a “federal bureaucrat” with a bottomless charge account!
Yard Office, hmmm. Now I’ll feel in control (until my wife gives me the next honey-do list!).[*-)]
I use a spread sheet, Excel in my case since I have Excel, but any spreadsheet will do the job. Each piece of rolling stock gets a row. Have columns for what ever seems needful. Road name, reporting marks, date acquired, cost, work needed, parts needed, maintenance history, length, weight, date of last overhaul, or wheel cleaning, Kadee couplers needed, metal wheels needed, or whatever. You can add new columns later for things that become needful, you can rearrange columns, you can sort the rows in any order you like, and you can print listing of any number of columns, from all to just a few. You can enter all your rolling stock and have the spreadsheet just show / print a selection of rows, say all the rows that need work.
All I’ve done is custom make an inventory database with Access. You can set it up with what ever fields you think you’re going to need & go from there.
I use a program called RRTrains. You can download it free at: RRTRAINS . Not only does it store all the necessary information about your roster, but you can link each piece to a picture of it (comes in handy for insurance purposes), as well.