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