Managing Locomotives, Rolling Stock, Train Sets, and Installed Components

TIM can represent individual equipment, packaged train sets, and components installed inside another item without losing their separate identities.

Individual equipment #

Create a separate record for each locomotive or car when it has its own road number, condition, value, photograph, DCC address, maintenance history, or storage position. Identical commodity items such as track sections can use one record with a quantity greater than one.

Train sets #

1. Add the complete set as an inventory item and choose the Train Set category.
2. Add each locomotive, car, or important component as its own item.
3. Edit each component and choose the set in the Parent train set field.

This preserves both the set identity and the details of its individual pieces. A set can have one shared set photograph. Linked components may reuse that shared image as their primary card and table image without creating duplicate uploaded files. Use individual photographs when condition or identification differs by component.

Installed parts #

Use Installed in item for decoders, speakers, lighting boards, motors, detail kits, or other components installed inside a locomotive, car, structure, or control system. This makes the installed part discoverable while keeping its manufacturer, model, purchase, and notes separate.

Product facts versus ownership facts #

A linked Product Catalog record can fill reusable facts such as manufacturer, model, road, scale, gauge, barcode, and specifications. Ownership-specific information stays on the inventory item, including purchase cost, storage, condition, DCC address, private photographs, and maintenance.

Recommended practice #

• Use the manufacturer’s exact model or article number when available.
• Record both railroad and road number.
• Use consistent category names and scales.
• Photograph the box label when it provides identification evidence.
• Record modifications and decoder installations in activity or maintenance notes.
• Do not combine unlike pieces into one quantity record merely because they came in the same package.

This structure produces more useful search results, maintenance histories, insurance reports, and exports.