The problem with too many RR books

[Cajonpassfan]

As a Santa Fe guy, yes, and with the same problem.   Lots and lots of books, you know you've seen it somewhere, where is it?  I've got every book of Santa Fe in Arizona, and lots of others; pretty much two entire bookshelves dedicated to that.  Plus my own photo collection on several trips, prints, slides, and now digital, with a date range of 1972 to 2010.

The challenge last night was a picture of a Cushman cart on an ATSF station platform.  Yeah, I know I've seen one somewhere, but where?

Or maybe it was a McMillan calendar.   Or maybe a slide...   Or maybe in one of my friends books I borrowed (yes, there are two of us, in the same town and the same office even, with a MAJOR Santa Fe library of stuff).

+1

Same here, too much stuff in different formats....Manila files to flash memory. I was making good progress digitizing a lot of my stuff and then the PC crashed. On of these days I'll get organized, but technology is moving faster than I do...
Regards, Otto K.

[bobdobbs]

Sp books by BobDobbs1, on Flickr

[Mike Madonna]

Sp books by BobDobbs1, on Flickr

Hmmm... that look's familiar 

In regards to a quick reference; One thing I've done is to use a larger "Post It" type note and on the top write something like "3711 & 4453 w/ #99 @ Chorro,  April, 1953". Then stick the post it to that page, leaving just the aforementioned "note" above the page edge. It's simple and has worked for me so far....

[highway70]

My book data base currently lists 984 railroad books, model railroad books, and book of reference material that might be useful for modeling. 12+ four foot shelves.  I also have three shelves of military topics, not in the data base. There are also a few books that are not listed and/or shelved yet, and 1+ shelf of miscellaneous books not indexed.   

My favorite railroad is the Western Pacific and related companies SN, TS, CCT, more than 30 books.  I have more than 80 books on the Southern Pacific and related companies like the PE and Cotton Belt. SP narrow gauge.  I also have books on the GN/BN. UP, Santa Fe, Milwaukee, SP&S, Rio Grande and many other railroads, interurbans and street cars.  My collection includes,  Jesse Conde's books on Hawaiian railroads, and all but two of the books written by Charles S. Small. who wrote mainly about obscure narrow gauge lines in Asia and Latin America. 

[JMaurer1]

Sp books by BobDobbs1, on Flickr

That's a good start...

[Ali Kenneth]

Sorry, don't understand the concept of too many Railroad books!?!

[Denver Road Doug]

My problem is a combination of books, newsletters, clipped magazine articles, (and some magazines awaiting clipping) and "other".   Any one of those isn't some big collection but as a while it makes for a tough move. (and that's after a severe purge that probably eliminated 2/3 of the bulk)  It all fits pretty well into 3 30"x40" bookshelves so I don't have an insurmountable mountain but it's still a lot, and still heavy.

If I had the time, I could probably scan 1/3 or 1/2 of what I have fairly easily.  Another 1/3 would include some books that if I had good scans of I would be fine with.  (BNSF Annuals, etc.)    I would LOVE to find digitized, searchable ORER's but so far nothing for the late-90's/early 00's period I'm interested in.   So two big yellow freight car bibles will be with me for the time being.   Ultimately I would love to have everything digital but it probably won't happen anytime soon.