Steam & Excursion > Digital List Steam, Diesel, Passenger, Freight Parts

At Midwest Railway Preservation Society we have a huge number of different railroad equipment parts scattered all over the roundhouse,the stores building,several box cars and baggage cars, containers and outside in the open. There are parts for the 4070,diesels,passenger cars,and freight cars. Has anyone else used an inventory program that would cover all the various parts like this? I would like to include photos and descriptions of the parts if possible, assign locations to each part and place all of this on Cd's. It will be a huge task but it really needs to get done and I am hoping that someone has used a program that will help.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/14 07:13 by trainsfireengine.

Kind of outside the box, but it might work.

We've gone through various programs and quasi databases. We have a few million drawings, documents, photos, negatives, manuals, etc. When we scan anything it goes to a folder for a database that is meant for image collection.

ACDSee does many of the things Photoshop does, but also includes a (SQL based) database. Along with the image, the database can store metadata, including a textual description, notes, author, database date and then there are customizable key words and categories (you create and use a list of both categories and keywords, checking boxes that apply). All of this can be searched from within ACDSee. Once embedded, much of the information is retained in the file itself, such that you can copy that file to another computer and the metadata is retained. There is in integral backup & restore function, search and other usable features. This can be easily transported to other computers.

Now, obviously, this would, in your case, have to be associated with a form of a scannable bar code (or other digital, scannable key). The issue there is how to attach the barcode/digital image to the item. That can be done with wire tags and cable ties and such for large items that are stored "in the elements". For smaller items, the adhesive type may work. Associate the digital image to the code, and then you have an inventory viewable from any computer or smart device. A smart device would even be able to take the image, scan the code and associate the two.

When I was doing inventory on computers and hardware, the problem was you needed (at the time) a fairly expensive scanner and camera. Now, just about everyone has one in their pocket. And, I'm sure now, there are inventory control apps you can keep (and then export from) the smart devices. I haven't looked in years, and technology is evolving faster than one can keep up (assuming that isn't their job). Which brings up the reason for export into a database that is central and forward compatible. If support for the app goes away, and you have a few tens of thousands of items in inventory (as you are building it), you're screwed. So it has to have an export function and in a format that is readable by "office products" at the least.

We have over a couple hundred thousand items in inventory, but in our case, scanned photos, documents and drawings somewhat lend themselves to the process. Were I to include some of the hardware we have, I'd take an image and tie/slap a tag on the item, and enter the information into the DB. Apps are sure to be had that would do that automatically though.

Interesting! So this program could be used to inventory any other kind of collection, for example model railroad stuff? There is an ACDSee Free version available, will that have the features that we might need?

I can't recall what is in the free vs pro version - I've been on the Pro version for years. For the price, it's a great digital image program, although it has the habit of having errors once in a while (of no determined origin).

You could use it for anything, though it is meant as an image DB / viewer. The view process is great - if you have LOTS of images, it is the best way to just review them. Quickly. It's fairly intuitive, and easier to use (IMHO) than Photoshop.

Were I to make an inventory of my models, I'd take an image (or a scan - for brass unpainted cars, a scan is GREAT!) and put the metadata in, and be done with it. I *HAVE* scanned many of my brass cars for that purpose.




trainsfireengine Wrote:
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> Interesting! So this program could be used to
> inventory any other kind of collection, for
> example model railroad stuff? There is an ACDSee
> Free version available, will that have the
> features that we might need?