Do You Keep a Notebook ?

I keep a log, of every engine upgrade I do.  All stashed in a big binder.

I keep a "Motive Power Roster" wherein the most recent date of use is recorded, along with any service need noted during the run.

When I came back to the hobby in 1989 I started keeping something like this but, over time my entries in it became fewer and fewer till I eventually forgot about it.

I guess it’s somewhat analogous to maintaining the “baby books” for kids you have after the first. 🤔

Now; I do keep an engine maintenance log and that is up to date.

Curt

I keep a 30-ring binder with locomotive manuals and service records, and most importantly information on my wiring. I've got general info on wire size and etc as well as the colors I've used and control panel wiring. I find it helps deal with the "rats nests" that I manage to create.

That's what this Forum is for.

I have so many printouts of stuff off the forum and internet I can hardly find what I'm looking for half the time.  Notebook...I have file boxes with hanging folders!!!

I have a binder dedicated to holding platform construction and wiring things, an Access database detailing inventory and maintenance, a bound notebook for general modeling notes, and folder on my desktop containing PDFs of interesting forum topics.

I have a binder which holds all the paper manuals from my various locomotives and operating accessories.  I have an Access database with all my inventory, purchase history/date/price/dealer/etc. in it.  Recently I added a simple Word document to track key operating notes (i.e. things I had forgotten from 15 years ago) and the status of my batteries/BCRs in MTH locos, and the engine ID #s for my TMCC locos.

I have a train information folder on my computer in my train room that says it has 1,751 files in 31 2nd level folders (126 folders total), for a total of 1.77GB.  This does not count my train pictures folder which has 29,136 files in 1,067 folders for a total of 89.2GB.  I won't add my video files.

I have lots of spreadsheets to track just about everything I can.

I have a binder where I keep all my engine and accessory manuals. These are handy when changing bulbs, lubrication points on engines, etc.

I also have a few binders for my layout design. One binder specifically for my signal system (I have about 57 signal lights on the layout, utilising over 80 circuit boards and a few thousand feet of phone cable). Another binder is for my layout design, where I have kept my original design sketches.

I am currently creating a design record in an XLS file, where I have my naming standards, wire standards, terminal block design, etc. The xls file contains the terminal block backing paper design (this creates a colour coded sheet with wire names that goes behind the terminal block and shows you where each wire goes. You match the terminal block backer name with the wire label name. Very handy when a wire or 2 comes loose)

I colour the paper backing label with the wire colour, making it easier to wire and understand where things go, without always needing to read the wire label. I use telephone cable (Red, Yellow, Green, Black) for my low voltage connections, so the label colour method helps a lot.

I am creating a single XLS file, with all my design notes and wiring methods, naming standards, design ideas, any wiring modifications I make to an accessory, how I use the various transformers, anything that will help someone understand my layout. This puts everything in one place. I have numerous tabs in the xls file for different things. This has been quite helpful for reminding me what I did a number of years ago. Also, as I learn and evolve the layout, some of my wiring methods improve and change, so that is all described in the xls file.

I also have troubleshooting notes, which I am always adding to. It is unbelievable how many things can go wrong on my layout. The layout is idle during the summer, so come the fall, many things do not work, for no reason whatsoever. It does not make sense, it is simply an observation of the facts.

When I was actively building my current layout, I kept a notebook.

Because of work, I would stop a project for a week or two. When I got back to it, I wanted to be able to pick up where I left off.  

Rather, than spending valuable time trying to figure out where I left off.....

Peter

@OddIsHeRU posted:

I keep a "Motive Power Roster" wherein the most recent date of use is recorded, along with any service need noted during the run.

Same.

I keep Lists, lots of Lists.

I started with a yearly To Do List for the train layout as it was on the living room floor for 2 months a year and things came up that could not be fixed or added without access to the bottom of the layout.  I have keep this yearly list of things to fix or build to date even with the Layout up permanently now.

I started two lists in 1990, one for Engines Bought List and another for Every thing else List, Bought or made.  I had to reach deep in the memory for parts of these lists as my train board was made in 1977 and I had no list from 1977 to 1990. I add new items now after train shows, eBay or building things.  I include item description, date bought or built, price, condition, where bought, from where or who and include items missed or passed on.

These lists are now in pencil and MS Word.

I have a couple of loose files folders for important things like instructions, inventories and homemade table of contents for items of interest in CCT (from initial to near latest) or OGR (from OSR to near latest)  magazines, sketches of items during constructions, wiring diagrams for the layout, etc.

So my work book is a series of lists.

Charlie

I have an older friend who documents everything in his life and thought I would never do anything similar. Then, 2-3 years ago, I could not remember some info on recent purchases and I started using 3-ring binders. Sometimes, as Bob Delbridge mentioned further up, I have so much printed, it takes a while to find what is needed.

Tom

I keep notes/manuals in 4 binders:  Motive Power, Operating Accessories, Operating Cars and Track /Power ( includes a mapping of the wiring/electrical as well as the manuals for TMCC/Legacy, trackside accessories, transformers,etc).

I have an Excell sheet for inventory (which reminds me, it needs updating).

I also have an motive power and rolling stock list in XLS which needs updating.

I have a railroad book list that is almost up to date. I hate having multiple copies. I need to add the list of DVD's that I have, as I have also purchased a few "spares". With a few years since my last train meet, I will for sure need these updated lists the next time I go to York or a train shop.

In the early 2000's I used a program call MI Trains to inventory every train I owned or acquired.  Kept this up for years and then stopped. I have a stack of papers a foot and a half high with copies of articles from O Gauge Railroading and other publications/internet sites pertaining to trains, dealing with scenery, wiring, tips, tricks, accessories, etc.

This discussion has motivated me to dig into that pile and set up a formal system/files to access all that stuff easily.......something that I should have done long ago.

Another good reason I'm a participant in, and member of, this Forum. Think I'll start tonight!

I wrote myself a note to start  log.

Lost the note 😂😂😂😂

I had started a XL doc of my inventory but its sorely out of date. Wiring diagrams would be helpful too. Engine upgrades are getting hard to remember as the fleet has expanded.

Everything is in a stack in my shop. Need to get better organized one day. Guess you could say the same about life in general.

Bob

I use search and point it to my folder of all the stuff I save. Topic finds the words and saves me the looking. I have 5 pages so far. Under the Hood links, and listed my train purchases with a little history and photos of the grandkids.

I have 3 sheets so far. Looking to buy a 3 ring notebook, or find an old one in the GI-Rage <g>

I use index cards on all my engine's , tender's and operating cars, When serviced and what repairs were made. Been using the cards since 1989.

God Bless America!! God Speed All!!

I keep most of my info in Excel spreadsheets. I recently found it essential to maintain a logbook of DCC CV settings as a result of my introduction to DCC via BlueRail Trains.

I started a Index Card file on each locomotive what I did and service record as I unpacked after this move. I have an XL Spreadsheet for inventory and 4 3 ring binders with anything and everything. Tips/emails from GRJ and others on the forum. Also printed service/operating manuals for each locomotive and also a file folder on my Mac that can be accessed from my phone or iPad when at a show or train store.

I have detailed records of everything. There was too much paper, so I switched to scanning it all into a dedicated, external hard drive with 4 Terabytes, to include videos. The paper mostly disappeared, except for PW catalogs and PW instruction sheets, which I keep in binders. Its as if a load was taken off my shoulders. Mark

Probably should but I  use the sometimes unreliable 1954 grey matter 1.0

I have a few binders with schematics,  wiring diagrams, train purchases, details of scratch built structures,   some manuals on the video equipment and pictures torn out from magazines of scenery ideas.  Most of the pages came from Model Railroader mag before I subscribed to OGR and Classic Toy Trains.  I cancelled CCT a few years back as OGR was plenty for me.  I also have a few organized piles of engine manuals,  accessories and punch lists of the various projects I have going at the same time.  I have numerous pictures of the building of my layout over the years of just about everything stored on my computer.  Some items in more detail than others.  I did have one of the inventory programs for all of the trains but I didn't keep it up.      JP

I do sort of too. one page is sq. feet,13 switches how many feet of track, and so on.

I also have a record of everything bought,  number,date price I paid, description.

@CP BOB posted:

"photos of lots of notebooks"

Bob, I will take that as a yes, definitely a yes <grin> "What did they want? They were looking for the Holy grail, I told them we already got one"