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Visual Train Caboodle version 3.1
The Most Comprehensive Program for Model Railroad Organization
The Visual Train Caboodle
application is a system that model railroaders and railfans can
use to organize their entire model railroad collection. The
software has been designed to operate under Windows/98, NT, and all versions of
Windows/XP. The software can beinstalled in a matter of minutes.
Visual Train Caboodle consists of 11 components:
The data tables - Include:
Model Train Inventory
Parts
Kits
Books
Magazines
Slides and Photos
Videos
Want List
Layout Construction
Railroadiana (Collectables)
Pass Exchange
Maintenance Manager - Includes:
Bad order coding/reporting
Maintenance Manager
Maintenance reporting
Historical information
Reporting - Includes
Over 80 standard reports
Query maker allows the user to design his/her own reports/labels, etc.
Model Train Inventory
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At the core of Visual
Train Caboodle is the robust inventory module that will
keep track of all vital information about a locomotive,
rolling stock or passenger equipment.
Over 35 different pieces of information are
stored in the files and will be at your finger tips for
instant retrieval. In addition to standard fields like
reporting mark or description we have designed an open
area that you will be able to user for any purpose. For
example it could be used for detailing parts, complete
descriptive information that your insurance company might
need.
After you have completed data entry you
may run any or all of the standard reports. We have
listened to our customers and designed the reports that
meets their needs.
The Maintenance Manager component will
allow you to place an item into bad order status and
print a corresponding bad order ticket. Or you may use
the scheduling options to place your equipment on regular
maintenance. Once on the schedule Visual Train Caboodle
will remind you that a given piece of equipment is due
for maintenance. Once you have completed the necessary
maintenance and made any repairs you will update the data
files with information and indicate that the maintenance
has been performed and the cycle will start over. All
information that is included in the maintenance manager
is stored in a historical file for later use.
The database recalculation allows you
to assign new values to equipment based on your own
criteria (i.e. brass cabooses).
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Parts
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Every
model railroader has a zillion parts. The parts file will
allow you to organize and locate parts quickly. In fact
you can even specify to Visual Train Caboodle how many
parts you want to have on hand at all time and the
software will remind you when you fall short of this. |
Kits
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Each of your kits may
also be recorded in the kits file. |
Books
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Three different screens
are used to record all of the detail about your book
collection. |
Magazine Inventory
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This file provides you a
quick reference for your magazine collection |
Slides/Photos
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The slide/photo file
allows you to record complete information about each and
every slide, photo, or negative in your collection. In
addition to the basic data about the photo the equipment
settings can be utilized to know exactly what camera, F
stop, etc. was used. And if we haven't provided enough
fields the description field may be used to record
additional comments. |
Videos/Movies
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The Video file contains
entries about your video/movie collection. It is not just
limited to commercial information, but you can enter
videos that you have taken. The specification fields
(start and stop) will allow you to locate a piece of
video on a tape quickly. |
Want List
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All model railroaders
never seem to have enough equipment, and all seem to want
to purchase additional items. The want list will allow
the user to maintain a list of those items that are
desired along with the maximum amount that should be
paid. This file with its corresponding reports is
especially useful during the holidays to give someone
specific information. |
Layout Construction
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In our surveys we
determined that most people who have/had built their
model railroad had no idea of the cost involved. The
layout construction file will allow you to maintain that
information which could be especially useful for
insurance purposes. |
Railroadiana (Collectables)
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Visual Train Caboodle is
not just limited to maintaining information about model
trains. The Railroadiana file is the catch all file to
record information about your collectibles. In fact it
could even be utilized for home inventory purposes. And
like the want list for model train equipment this file
has a special field to indicate that an item is wanted. |
Pass Exchange
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Several years ago while
attending a National convention we noticed that there
were a number of folks who were exchanging various items.
The pass exchange file will allow you to track what you
are trading and with whom. It also provides a basic name
and address file for your friends. |
Query Maker
Query Maker is a tool for extracting meaningful
information from the Visual Train Caboodle files. Query Maker
simplifies the process of creating your own queries and reports.
Features:
Uses everyday language and eliminates the
need for programming
Offers a full range of analysis options
(find records starting with, does not contain, etc)
Lets you build complex query scenarios
Delivers results in the most useful
formats (on screen tabular views, reports, text files,
mail-merge files, databases, or Lotus or Excel
spreadsheets
Offers flexibility in shaping how your
queries work
Allows you to build your own reports using
any data in any format.
Lookup Tables
Visual Train Caboodle provides the following
lookup tables that will insure that while you are entering your
data, information is entered in a quick and concise manner:
- Railroad Abbreviation
- Classification
- Condition
- Category
- Trucks
- Couplers
- Scale
- Manufacturer/Importer
- Storage Location
There are too many benefits to list here
in a small space. Our customers have reported that using
Visual Train Caboodle gives them an exact knowledge of
their collections. The reporting had provided insurance
companies with a exact picture of the collection. The
user is not required to use all features of the software
but we know that as information is entered you will want
to explore the additional features
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