Does Anyone Keep a Journal?

While not necessarily train related I have kept a journal/record of daily events since my first day in the Army, 3 Jan 1971.  Have kept it up after retirement.  Will be making yesterday's entry shortly.  It has come in handy verifying activities and dates over the years.

When I was working I kept a notebook for the simple reason that I would start a project and then not be able to come back to it for weeks……this way, I knew where I left off, what I had tried or what I was thinking, etc.

In retirement, I have had no need to have what I used to call “my lab book”, since I get to the trains in some fashion daily.

Peter

After a fashion...

https://ogrforum.com/...-my-how-tos-together

Mitch

I keep a journal- more of a lab book as Peter calls it, because my memory has always been abysmal, and I don't want to re-invent some technique I already figured out.  It also makes writing articles and my "How I did it" forum posts very easy.

Currently its up to 11 volumes, 61 chapters, 5,581 photographs, and 2,778 pages:

I love John's approach and mine is similar, although unlike John's mine is digital.  I use an application called Evernote on my PC.  I started it a little over 10 years ago.

It allows me to capture photos, videos, plans, etc., in addition to my notes.  Every entry can be catalogued in several ways to make it easier to find.  It uses keywords that are entered into an outline (hierarchically), rather than as a simple list, to allow me to dig down and find things quickly and easily.  It's broken down by manufacturer, type of rolling stock, railroad, accessory, method, technology, organization, source, documentation, layout characteristics, and more.

There's a phone app too, so that I can log and find my notes when on the road at shows or at out-of-town hobby shops.

As of today there are 6186 entries:

The goal was not to forget anything, and while not totally perfect, it works fairly well.

Mike

Although I don't keep a journal about my O gauge hobby (or day-to-day life), I used keep what I called a "log book" about my outside, 12" gauge railroad when I was actively working on it.  I have nearly 10 years worth of entries about work or activities as they happened.  It is useful for reference as to what was done at what date.  I think those notes came to an end about the time I started using digital photography (both from my phone and camera).  It made it easy to have a daily photographic record of progress that eventually replaced my written record.  However, I still keep written maintenance records on my vehicles, especially my motorcycles.  The bikes need maintenance a bit more frequently than the four-wheel vehicles, plus I have a tendency to make more changes to them over time, so my favorite motorcycles tend to have detailed and lengthy records that are laid out in a chronological format much like my old railroad log books.  Again, those notes are useful at times.  I could see where a journal could be a great resource if a person had a large layout.

@Mellow Hudson Mike posted:

I love John's approach and mine is similar, although unlike John's mine is digital.  I use an application called Evernote on my PC.  I started it a little over 10 years ago.

The goal was not to forget anything, and while not totally perfect, it works fairly well.

Mike

Mike

Mine is digital as well.  My display rack is just for visitors.  My journal is written in MS Word,  and all the photos, in addition to being embedded in the word document, are in a separate file folder. When I want to retrieve something, I go to the photo, look at the date its created, then go to the corresponding chapter.  Each chapter is only 40-50 pages long, so its easy to find the jornal entry.  The system may be a bit odd, but it works very well

As usual I’m not surprised to find a wealth of ideas. As many of you have, digital is the way to go. Incorporating photos is an excellent idea too. In other posts there have been discussions about having such information for insurance purposes. This discussion has also made me consider that I should take photos of my equipment when the shell is off. That way I won’t loose time wondering where a wire is supposed to go.

@John Sethian posted:

Mike

Mine is digital as well.  My display rack is just for visitors.  My journal is written in MS Word,  and all the photos, in addition to being embedded in the word document, are in a separate file folder. When I want to retrieve something, I go to the photo, look at the date its created, then go to the corresponding chapter.  Each chapter is only 40-50 pages long, so its easy to find the jornal entry.  The system may be a bit odd, but it works very well

Excellent.

I like having things organized.  It looks like you do too.

Now, there is a potential problem with being hyper-organized.  I probably spend more time getting things ready to support my hobby, like filing notes, photos, videos, plans, etc., than I do actually doing the hobby.

Here's a good example: I dismantled my old layout back in 2004 in order to prepare for a home remodeling project that gave us much more space.

Now that we have the space to build my dream layout, guess what hasn't yet been built?

Mike

I keep a detailed Excel spreadsheet showing about 20 columns of detail including purchase info and storage location.

The spreadsheet has other tabs with Wishlists, Project Lists and a tab for each for each loco upgrade that includes wiring diagrams and wire color conventions.    

I've used Evernote for over 12 years as a electronic filing cabinet for my sailing hobby as well as any household info I want to save.  My wife laughs when we decorate for Christmas as I have all the details of what goes where captured in Evernote.   I currently have over 2500 notes organized into Notebooks. the search function is excellent as you can even search for words that are in PDF files.

I love @Mellow Hudson Mike s idea of using Evernote for the train hobby. I may start using it to capture details on upgrades to locos and passenger cars as you can add photos to notes, something that is trickier to do in Excel.

I don't log running info, guests, etc.  

I keep a journal ( somewhat loosely ) of tasks in progress and their future next step due to long periods between layout work sessions.   I also keep a locomotive maintenance log and have been doing this for 15 years.  Both are very helpful.  

I made notes and sketches when building my layouts and photographed the progress when my 10'-by-5' was under construction. I built about 80 structures for both layouts and kept logs (on paper) and digital photographs of construction tasks and hours. Since becoming a Forum member, I've taken thousands of cellphone photos and videos of both layouts that I've posted on various threads, especially "Switcher Saturday." Those are stored digitally on my computers along with MS Word files of the text and comments that I've posted. Technology has enabled me to have voluminous records of my model trains, layouts and online activities.

I've also written several articles for OGR Magazine and other publications.  As a Digital Subscriber I have online access to everything I've written for publication and it is preserved for me in the OGR archives.

MELGAR

Like Ward H, I use Excel.

In addition to the purchase price, date, etc., I also keep notes on repairs and maintenance.

One column that I added recently is "box/shipper location".  I keep all of my engines out on shelves.  Since the boxes all get stored somewhere, it's a pain to find the correct box when I go to sell something.  I stash my boxes in a few areas around the house: attic, garage, or basement.  Now that I have the box location tracked, I don't have to search for them anymore.

Another tab in my spreadsheet that I've found useful: "items sold".  I tend to sell things once I realize I haven't been using them.  Keeping record of things I've sold prevents me from looking for items I no longer own.  It's happened.

I am a disorganized mess! I keep wanting to record data of my work, train inventory and layout photos, but never get off of my dead butt to do it. I am hoping that reading this great topic will inspire me to get going on a layout journal. To all that contributed to his topic, BRAVO!!!

Randy, at the very least, put it on your shopping list and, pick up a copybook or something. Put a pen with it and put in a spot where you will put it to good use.

Jay

I do not keep a Journal but I keep lists of all sorts.  It started with To Buy Lists for train shows.  Then Lists of things bought as to item, date, and price as I acquired more stuff, I wound up double buying.  I have lists of items to be done on the layout and things done on the layout with dates.  I also have lists of items bought at garage and thrifts, and picked from the trash with item, price, description, and date.  I have separate lists for tools, audio, electronics, sports gear, golf clubs and camera gear.

All these lists started as lists on paper and in pencil but I now use simple MS word lists on the computer.

All of these lists have helped me keep up with what I have acquired and have.

I do not have a journal but have detailed how I designed, build and improved my 44 year old layout on a 8 page, OGR forum topic and share it at the OGR link below.  Having the items bought, built, modified and dates made this topic possible.

https://ogrforum.com/...fties-era-027-layout

An important journal I am working on is like a family history experience list I keep.  It started about the four years we lived in Kingston, Jamaica and the wild things going on in that country at the time, 1976 to 1979.  The countries democracy was under siege by communist Cubans but they had a free press and resisted a take over.  Recent I have started notes on my childhood during the late 1940s and how we lived to save these memories for my self, grown children and grand children.  Being seasoned I find it easier to remember things from 60-70 years ago than last several years !

Charlie

I am a student of History and my trains are no exception. Basically, on my computer I created four main divisions, O-Line, S-Line, ST-Line (Standard Gauge) and G-Line (garden). Within those divisions I identify specific trains by set, all of which are numbered. I maintain separate records for each set, designated either "Log" (general stuff) or "Topics" (specific issues). I also have another master file for layouts (indoors and outside) and track their history. All my entries are in chronological order and in narrative form. For example, my first train set was the #2034 loco outfit from 1952. I can track all the issues with it to the present. I also video my trains and cross reference those with the written record, as described. To me, this is very relaxing. Mark

I'm planning to start a digital journal. Mostly because searching in the document would be easier if it was on the computer. I already have two spreadsheets for inventories.

For my layout, to document the progress we have installed a GoPro camera that we turn on during each work session and capture a photo every 60 seconds. Over time we have accumulated quite a few photos and turned these photos into a video which allows us to see the work we have done. It is quite interesting to watch the video.

Thanks;

idea-thinker

I did for three days in 1980.

Jon

@Tranquil Hollow RR posted:

Based on recent posts it got me wondering if folks keep a journal/diary of their efforts. I keep a copybook (I’m old fashion) in my train room. I include what I did, what I tried, etc. I make a note of who stopped by; offered suggestions; helped with something. A date is included with each entry. Photos have also been taken but I feel the narrative, written in what will be a secret code-cursive, will be a good reference and memory.

Anyone else doing something along these lines?

Jay

I have kept one since I was about 8, when I would build a Christmas layout. I would sketch it out, then put in the wiring. Back then it was much more complex as I had to use Lionel Contactors with insulated rails. I would add each one to my binder. I still do it today with the grand kids! Looking back I have over 60 layouts. This two gets handed down with the trains one dad.

Looking at my binder, I found a Layout I built in my teens. Four sets of trains running automatically crossing each other’s right away protected by Lionell spring contactors and insulated sections of track. It’s amazing how far this Hobby has come since then.

I keep what I call a “Running Chart”. It lists all my engines and what I need to know for running them. I have almost every tech phase of engine starting with postwar so it can get confusing.

How much liquid smoke to use. Where are the Run/Pgm and smoke on/off switches located on the engine. Handy so I don’t need to take the engine off the track to find them.

What control system is in the engine? TAS, TMCC, TRU-Blast, Ott,  ERR, PS1-2-3 etc all operate a little different.

How much can the engine pull? What voltage does it run best at? You get the idea.