train inventory system for MAC

There is a train inventory program for the MAC using Bento, the data base program.

if you use Bento, Google the train inventory template.

It's pretty good.

Scrappy

Just build yourself a "flat file"database with a spreadsheet program (Excel etc.).  You can make it look like whatever you want.  You can add columns anytime.  You can arrange the data. etc. etc. etc. .  

Wally, I use Excel on my Mac.  It does not have the automatic database input features that the commercial inventory apps have, but I don't mind entering by hand.  My stuff is mostly prewar tinplate, American and European, so most of it would be hand entry anyway, and with an Excel spreadsheet you have total flexibility for things like various notes or your maintenance records.  I'm at 113 pages, Excel doesn't care. 

There used to be a product called "Trainminder" I think?? It was advertised in some of the TCA Quarterlys.

WWW.midamerica3railers.webs.com

It's Windows based, not Mac.. And its a complete fraud. Hasn't been updated in years despite early promises that it would be. I filed a complaint with the TCA about their ads and what a rip off it was. I believe they removed the ad in the quarterly based on my and others complaints.

Scrappy has it right. Bento is the way to go. 

Thanks for the update. I have a Mac and if someone would email me the directions, I would appreciate it. Thanks.

WWW.midamerica3railers.webs.com

Does anyone use Delicious Library for trains?

Excel Spreadsheet:

I have also used an Excel Spreadsheet for simple lists. There are ways of formatting a spreadsheet to make data entry easier. Each "cell" can be formatted to "protect" cells which do not have data.

A very simple "example" list in Excel is attached (as a PDF only). The area highlighted in blue cannot be altered by the user since it is protected. Moving from cell to cell requires only a "tab".

I have been researching and testing model inventory software and find them way overdone.

So, I am leaning towards a spreadsheet.

I use Bento on my ipad. Nice program.

Andy

Wally,

As others have mentioned Bento for Mac is good to use (basically a spreadsheet with a pretty face to it).

If you want to go the basic spreadsheet route with out the expense of buying MS Excel or Office for Mac, you can use the open source version.

LibreOffice is open source and free to use, the package includes Writer (MS Word), Calc (MS Excel), Impress (MS Powerpoint), Base (MS Access) and other items.

Here's a link to the features page

http://www.libreoffice.org/features/

"If you want to go the basic spreadsheet route with out the expense of buying MS Excel or Office for Mac"

or get iWork which costs a lot less and has Numbers which is a full featured spreadsheet program.

but, as said before, Bento is not expensive, is a legit database program, and has a template already developed for model train catalog.

I was not knocking Bento, was just trying to explain in simple terms what the program is.

Bento is not a relational database, it stores the data in a flat file (a spreadsheet).

You can add fields from another library, but you have to manually insert the field.

For example you cannot query the trains library for items purchase from contact "A" from the contacts library.

"For example you cannot query the trains library for items purchase from contact "A" from the contacts library."

i think you could until they broke the link to contacts (and calendar).

For my iMac I use Filemaker Pro.  It is a relational database where you can query the database (called "finds") to extract any data you wish and save them.  You can convert any existing files (Excel and/or Bento files) and also add pictures to each record and create a form to add new data to or just add to the database.

You can create a database from scratch or use one of many templates to adapt to your needs. They also have a free mobile app (Filemaker Go) to send your database to your iphone and/or ipad.

It's a bit expensive, but when I tried the free trial I was offered a discount at the end for a little more than half price.

iWorks for the Cloud is in Public Beta right now. Should be released to the public very soon. But you will soon be able to access from any iOS or OSX device, will be handy to have access to the spreadsheet wherever you are

If there is enough interest in a OSX (mac) or iOS (iPad/iphone) train inventory app I will build for you guys. If so, reply with feature requests

- Nick Eby

http://www.nicholasleby.com

Nick

I started to draw one up for use with Filemaker but I really don't have the time

I think most of the basics are straightforward, Cat#, Name, Desc, Condition, picture of engine, which catalog, purch date,  Purchased from, type (Rolling stock, accessory, Steam engine, Diesl etc)

I added in fields for  Image, scan of the receipt, maintenance record, scan for repair docs (more than one) . TMCC ID

Also a field for multiple items that are the same (rolling stock that I have 10 of) no sense to have separate entries that are for the most part the same

Want list, for sale list, inventory print out

Think there were others

this is what the Bento train inventory template looks like.  of course, it can be modified.

I'd like fields for road name, car/locomotive type, photo, road number, manufacture, manufacture number, with w/out box, and date received.  And if it's something I can edit from my Mac and iPhone, that'd be grand.  This means the database would need to live on Dropbox or other online service.

Bento has IOS components. The template is completely editable. 

Had some free time yesterday, started putting together a Mac App to manage trains, goal was to make it easy to manage Lines, Engines and Cars, so I added drag and drop features, etc. Very unfinished, but wanted to post progress now for feedback and suggestions before going any further!

Looks good Nick,

I see the inventory is by train (nice idea), would there be an option just for straight inventory?

Just throwing this out for an idea, maybe a field that is a link to the electronic copy (local) of the users manual for the item.

Current Book Value (name) plus Date entered.

Total Paid.

Total Current Value of collection.

Wow! This looks like a great app.

Nice work, Nick.

feature requests:

import data from excel (or paste into your spreadsheet view)

export single record summary to clipboard (Eg. to list in For Sale forum)

I'm currently using a spreadsheet on my Mac. This is nicer.

what are you writing you code in?

any plans for an iOS version?

Bob

Excellent inventory app.  With the train/straight inventory,this will work fine for my needs.

David

Still would be good to add a field for engine ID  and a field to attach scans of receipt for warranty. Also a field entry for maintenance record and a flag to mark as for sale

Updates, added the ability to have a for sale check box and to auto-generate a text file with the info, very cool. Added a field for online manual, a image field for receipt.

Going to add the engine ID field and working on a solution right now to import from excel!

Thanks for all the help guys.

Here is a video of the for sale export list, let me know if I can make that feature any better.

I, too, use an Excel spreadsheet.  Headers are Manufacturer,  Description, Condition, Pound Value, Exchange Rate, $ Value Cost, Source

Use it for my foreign and domestic trains.  Simply add up the "value" and "cost" and you have all the information you will ever need.  Subtotals give you values for foreign and domestic. Occasionally I'll check various auction and Ebay results and change, if necessary, the values of the most expensive items.  As in most inventory systems, perhaps 20% of the items represent 70-80% of the value.

Lew Schneider  lewrail@comcast.net

Nick,

The updates look real good. Can't wait to give it a try, what are your plans on distributing the app? (app store or your own website)

Suggested fields and order for "For Sale" listing:

manufacturer

item number

road name

train name

control system

cab number

description

notes

condition

price

eg.  MTH 20-1234 PRR K4s locomotive PS-2 #1361.  Pre-war style lettering.  Runs great.  Condition C-8. $499

maybe use spaces rather than bars for field separators. 

Nick

we all appreciate your willingness to respond to these requests.  Ultimately, you should decide what works best. 

Thanks

Bob

No problem at all Bob, I love doing this stuff. My main job is an iOS developer, which is the mobile counterpart to this all, so just starting to learn the mac side, so this has proven to be a great learning project.

Your "For Sale" suggestions look good, what i'll do is include a "include in sale sheet" check-box in the spreadsheet view so you guys can pick and choose which fields you want present or not.

FlatNickel, when the app is at a more finished point i'll post a link on here for you guys to use a "beta," for a few weeks, and if no major issues i'll post a finished 1.0 version on my website. 

If you've never seen my DCS Remote Demo, check it out, very cool http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae5MvaYVGgE

Thanks guys, more updates soon!

what are you using to develop this?

For development questions, this is just a native cocoa (objective-c) development app via Xcode ide... my background is in cocoa touch (iOS) and is what I do full time, so this cocoa mac app is one of my first desktop endeavors.