Train Collection Inventory Software
After reading an article about a train collector’s house that caught fire and destroyed, among other things, an extensive train collection, one of my thoughts was "I hope the collection was insured". Insuring a collection requires placing a value on all the items in the collection. Accurately estimating the value of your collection is easier if you have detailed, up to date records and values of each item in the collection. Maintaining such lists can be cumbersome and time consuming unless you use a software program specifically designed for the task. In today’s post, I list several train inventory programs and a quick overview of each designed to help you track and value every item in your collection.
Surprisingly, there are many choices on the market, all with various feature sets. Some titles offer companion databases containing information about most all items produced by a particular manufacturer. Such a feature will save time when entering information about your collection but comes at an additional expense. All provide functionality for recording pictures and generating reports, which is a must for insurance purposes. Others include interfaces with eBay, the ability to upload existing lists or share lists and other interesting features.
The list below represents the results of my search for train collection inventory software packages on the market. If you know of any others, please leave a comment below with the name of the software. Also, it is important to note that I have not used any of the products listed. My comments and judgments are based solely on the information available from each product’s web site.
Visual PackRat Plus
$29.95 for CD ROM (free shipping) from Spectrum Software, $24.95 if downloaded directly from their web site. Visual PackRat Plus has a very extensive feature set. No free trial available but you get a 30 day money back guarantee. Purchase also includes additional software titles including a home inventory manager, digital photo album, contact organizer and a calendar. Other PackRat versions are available for Department 56, NASCAR and many other collector categories.
I like the look of this software’s user interface. The interface with eBay would be very handy for those who build or sell their collection on the auction site. No train manufacturer databases available for use with PackRat so cataloging a large collection will be time consuming. Works with Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP.
Train Tracker 5.5
Starting at $25.00 for the base inventory software from Bangzoom Software. The best feature of Train Tracker is the availability of manufacturer’s price and inventory databases. The databases contain complete listings of products and prices for a particular manufacturer making cataloging very easy. The databases are available for Lionel (pre & post war, modern), K-Line, American Flyer and MTH. Each database is an additional expense and range in price from $20 for an individual manufacturer to $75 for all manufacturers. $85 will get you the base software and all databases. All of the databases are updated anually. Free demo software is available. Click here for a list of features. Works with Windows - versions not specified.
Train Tracker’s user interface is nice and integration of the manufacturer price and item databases should make cataloging and appraising large collections using very easy.
All Aboard Data Express
$29.95 for download (additional $3.85 for CD ROM) from Tayden Design, Inc. All Aboard Data Express is customizable and offers the ability to import existing lists from Microsoft Excel and text files. This is a nice feature if you have already started to catalog your collection in one of these formats. Your purchase includes some other non-related software such as digital and analog clocks, model railroading wallpaper, resistor color code analyzer, hobby shop address book and a weak eBay "interface". The extra "throw ins" should not influence your decision because they all are weak and reminiscent of Windows 95 freeware.
My overall impression is that the user interface isn’t as polished as some of the other packages and it may be a bit more cumbersome to use because it is so customizable. No manufacturer’s price and information databases offered. Requires Windows XP. A 10 day trial available here.
QuickData Express
Another offering from Tayden Design - $19.95 for download (additional $3.85 for CD ROM). QuickData Express seems to be a slimmed down version of All Aboard Data Express. Works with MS Windows 98, NT, 2000, XP. A 10 day trial available here.
Ultimate Data - RR Edition 8.0
Yet another model RR inventory software package from Tayden Design. Ultimate Data sells for $29.95 for download (additional $3.85 for CD ROM). How does this compare to All Aboard Data Express? Good question. There are no direct comparisons available on Tayden’s web site. Ultimate Data - RR Edition seems to have all the functionality of All Aboard Data Express but places an emphasis on graphics. Lots of icons for navigation and the ability to store up to 10 images of each catalogued item. No manufacturers price and information databases offered. Works with MS Windows 98, NT, 2000, XP. A 10 day trial available here.
This software, like All Aboard Data Express, will be more complicated to use because it is so customizable. Also, I don’t like that Tayden Design offers 3 versions of model RR inventory software but doesn’t show a chart comparing the functionality of each.
MI Trains
Starting at $44.00 plus shipping for the base software from Seahawk Interactive Software. Like Train Tracker, MI Trains offers companion databases containing item price and information for several manufacturers for an additional cost of $14.95 each. Databases are available for Lionel (pre, post and modern), K-Line and MTH (no American Flyer). Periodic database updates are available for free download.
MI Trains is not very customizable, but it doesn’t need to be because the software captures all the necessary details required to accurately catalog and value a collection. The interface looks clean and easy to use. MI Trains also includes over 3,100 train photos, with more available by download. There is also a "photo viewer" that enables the user to quickly view all user photos loaded into the system. Works with MS Windows 98, NT, 2000, XP.
MI trains is in the same league as Train Tracker 5.5 in functionality and price when purchased with the companion databases if you don’t mind that MI Trains lacks an American Flyer database.
HMS Trains
$24.95 from ModTech, Inc. Like the others, HMS trains has the ability to capture plenty of information about your collection, including photos. The user interface looks to be a bit more complicated than Train Tracker and MI Trains. ModTech doesn’t offer companion manufacturers databases. A 30 day/15 use free trial of the software is available here. Works with MS Windows 98, NT, 2000, XP.
HMS Trains’ lack of optional companion databases makes it a difficult choice over the base Train Tracker software offering similar functionality at the same price with the option to add companion databases.
TrackMyTrains.com
$75 for a 3 year subscription, $50 for two years, $30 for one year. TrackMyTrains.com is an on-line inventory software. All data is stored on TrackMyTrains web servers. The software is based on Microsoft VM (MS’s flavor of Java) and I was unable to get it to work on my new computer. The help offered on the web site did not fix my problems. I would not recommend TrackMyTrains.com based on that fact alone, plus it is very expensive. I have sent an email to their tech support. If I get a response, I’ll update this review.
If you are looking for an inexpensive way to track your collection, Train Tracker 5.5 would be the best option. Train Tracker has all the basic train inventory functionality needed for just $25.00 Plus, having the option to add the companion databases at a later time is a nice feature. For those with large collections, Train Tracker 5.5 is a good choice with MI Trains a close second (especially if you don’t have many American Flyer items).
If you have any experience using any of the software titles listed in this post, please relay your experiences to everyone by posting a comment below.
No related posts.
« Trains.com Web Site Upgraded | Main | The Men Who Loved Trains »
No Responses to “Train Collection Inventory Software”
There are no comments yet... Kick things off by filling out the form below.