Train inventory question

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Trlsmn

Trlsmn

New Member
Hi I'm new here. First off I would like to say hello to all of you. Next I would like to ask two questions on train collection inventory software.

1. What is the general consensus on which program is the best regardless of cost.

2. What is the best value (aka cheap) or best free program.

Thank you and I will be posting some pictures over the next few weeks that might make a few of you envious! :D
 
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First off, welcome to the forum! In regards to your inquiry, there are several programs to choose from...including the last gentlemen's suggestion of plain old MS Excel, to which I use also! The question you need to ask yourself is HOW ELABORATE of program do you wish to persue? At one point in time, I had in the nieghborhood of 700+ models; so you can only imagine the pergatory that was created breaking down the details of each model....so, in my excel program I start with class of car (tank, flat, box), my next breakdown of catagory would be size of car and (if applicable) # and type of doors: then I'll list each road and next to that the rolling numbers used. This way, in not allowing duplicate car numbers on my layout, in operations I have the capability of using makeshift waybills! Now as a closing note, on that excel list, next to the last digit of each car number is a letter....from A to Z....each letter denotes the manufacture; Accurail, Athearn, Bowser, etc... In the long run, it DID pay in spades as I ended up moving....and selling off a good portion of that collection. It made it easier for me to determine what I wanted/needed to unload and sell, without repeated groping thru boxes~ Hope this helps!
 
I use Excel for my fleet. I just have a basic breakdown of car type, reporting mark, car number, manufacturer and their part number so I don't buy any duplicates.
 
OK, you guys talking about inventories got me to thinking. I've never put everything down that I have. OK, so over the last 2 nights I used Micro Soft Excel spreadsheets. I broke them down into categories. Here's how it comes out (now mind you we're only talking engines).

Aurora & Portland roster 58

JTEX roster 18

Switchers (cut open, flat car loads/completed 10/117

Road units 33

Incomplete (projects on the shelf/NIB/in the drawers) 39/16/55

Now if I did my math correctly, that's 346 engines!!!!! Time for a garage sale!!!! I defiantly need to seek some professional help!!! LOL
 
Jerome, I think you need to have an HO Yard Sale. :)

I also use Excel. It's mainly because I've used it half my life and, if you learn to use pivot tables, you can display your inventory in any way imaginable.
 


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