So now I am unpacking cars that have been stored for a few years and fill up the yards. On my layout I demand, (It's mine, so I can do that ), KD couplers and metal wheels. As I built Inter Mountain cars years ago I did use North West wheel sets. Some cars still need them. New Atlas and Weaver cars need KD's put on.

So, I though about doing a spreadsheet listing each car, what it has, what it needs, broken hand rails, bad order etc. Easy enough to do but I though I would ask and see what the rest of you do to track cars / locos and their maintenance. I know there are databases for such things, but that seem a bit overkill.

Well just for cars that have been stored for a long time, after checking for any repairs needed, I put each on a 6' length of track set on a 1/2 percent grade. Each car, freight or passenger and regardless of the make of trucks under it, must roll the entire length of the test track, even if slowly, from a stand-still at the top end.

If not, the wheels and trucks are cleaned, checked and worked on to make them more free rolling. If that does not work, the trucks are replaced. Couplers are checked too, for correct height and operating capability.

Ed Bommer

It seems to me, what you're talking about is more like a list of what needs to be done to make sure your fleet is up to your standards and not a schedule per se. When I read the title of this thread I thought it had something to do with operation.

My two cents is, yeah computers can sometimes make life easier but they can sometimes also make it more complex. I think a simple list in a notebook would better suit your needs. Just cross off each car as it gets done. When you're finished throw the list out. If you really want an electronic list of your cars then you can go with the Excel or Access programs. Good luck in whatever you decide.

Dan,

My current system is without doubt, the easiest to use amd the least costly, because I do nothing! Of course I'm not sure what all I have and what it lacks/needs!

However, I did work on a large database in a past career and have recently taken a course on the MS office suite of software. Based on that experience, if you want a TRUE database, MS ACCESS is the software du jour and it is VERY good. If you don't mind taking the time to learn to use it (not all that difficult), you can have a listing of your stuff that is par excellence. You can sort and search and do most anything desired of a database.

A second, but way poorer substitute would be to use MS Excel which is a spreadsheet and NOT really designed for databasing stuff, even though it gets used that way.

Depends on what you want, but when I do database MY stuff, it will be on ACCESS, because I have the software, and it is waaaaaaaaaaaaay BETTER than using a spreadsheet.

I am NOT a great Microsoft fan, but I do think MS ACCESS is a VERY GOOD product!

SW

The thought occurs that one could spend more time making a list (especially when doing so on a computer) than it would take to fix the car in the first place. Expensive mechanical devices (Locomotives, autos, etc.) have preventive maintenance schedules, and prototype rolling stock has required intervals for air brake tests & inspections, but most home layout operators don't need such elaborate rituals.

Model locomotive manuals recommend lubrication after a certain number of hours of operation. That can be dealt with by keeping a log for individual models, doing it on an annual basis, or waiting until the model starts to squeak, depending on one's preference & how often a given model is operated.

If one has a large fleet, it becomes very time-consuming to record items & monitor maintenance schedules. One then has to decide how to spend one's time: In running trains, performing necessary repairs, or doing paperwork/computer work!