By Date or by Number?

[Bryce]

In looking at my massive collection of colour slides
and realizing some of them are not in quite the order I would like them
to be, was enquiring of a friend who has been through similar.

He suggested sort them by company, as they were,
in numerical order.

And if more than one locomotive in group (ie a locomotive coupled
to another locomotive and so on), follow the lead of the first locomotive
as often the following locomotives aren't always as well positioned.

For my CN & CP locomotives, that is one hell of a bunch of slides.
That means there will be about five Smith-Victor 600 slide boxes to
go through, for each railway!

And then there are lesser railways.

If something came up in the interim, they could also be numbered
in additive sequential number.

It's a thought.

One thing i have decided for me is that there will be no more slides.

I might drop a roll of print film in the camera but until I figure
myself first, then as Alex Craghead has noted there won't be any
magic silver ((or lead) (or rubber)) bullet solution.

To which I agree.

Just asking...

Bryce Lee

[E-21]

Are all or most of your slides rosters?

[Bryce]

Originally Posted by E-21

Are all or most of your slides rosters?

Sadly, no.

A dog's breakfast as it wereDan.

Am thinking label by road number, at least for the domestic (CN/CP) services.

And label by location for the balance.

However just enquiring.

Don't really want to have a separate spreadsheet/database

Keep it simple was my thought.

Having a computer complicates matters.

Bryce

[Bryce]

Originally Posted by E-21

Are all or most of your slides rosters?

Sadly, no.

A dog's breakfast as it were Dan.

Am thinking label by road number, at least for the domestic (CN/CP) services.

And label by location for the balance.

However just asking?

Do n't really want to have a separate spreadsheet/database
if I can help it.
Keep it simple was my thought.

bryce

[E-21]

Here's my system for what it's worth. My main organizing tool is geography - Spokane area for my very early days of shooting, eastern Washington and western Washington state, Montana, the Columbia Gorge and so on. I also have the slides organized by date within the broader geographic category. I have special sections for specific trips such as Canada, Utah and so on. The exception is that I have a Steam category where all of the steam related photos go.

I don't really have an interest in keeping track of locomotives or locomotive numbers, so I simply don't track or follow that information.

[Bob]

> My main organizing tool is geography...

That a good system. Date doesn't mean that much to most folks when searching for things. I'd go with location and/or railroad. Road number would be fine too, but even if you have all the photos from Vancouver together, then sub-sorted by BC Rail, CP, CN, BN etc.

[aciphoto]

An interesting dilema, Bryce. The answer for you will say a bit about what is important in the images for you.

In my family, my father, my brother, and I all take photos of trains. We each have sorted our slides differently. My father has sorted his by railway, then by locomotive number. My brother has sorted his by location. I have sorted mine chronologically. None of these ways are right, and none are wrong.

Sorting by railway and number is ideal if the point of your images was to record the locomotive. For example, roster shots would suit this very well.

If you wish to be able to quickly find all your images in one area, or along one subdivision, and the specifics of the locomotives themselves are less important to you, then sorting by location may be the best way to go.

Sorting chronologically means that all your images from a long trip will still be together, even if you travelled through many different regions. This may be the best options if you wish the images to bring back memories of specific times and trips.


When it comes to sorting digital images, a little bit of work along the way can make things much simpler. Using metadata you can basically do the same as labelling a slide or print, but most decent viewing software will allow you to then seach using that data. Thus, you end up with all three options in one.


So, I suggest that you think about what is important to you in your images, and how you wish to be able to access them. Is it the subject, the location, or the times and trips? This will help you determine which option suits you.


All the best,

[Bryce]

Originally Posted by aciphoto

An interesting dilema, Bryce. The answer for you will say a bit about what is important in the images for you.

In my family, my father, my brother, and I all take photos of trains. We each have sorted our slides differently. My father has sorted his by railway, then by locomotive number. My brother has sorted his by location. I have sorted mine chronologically. None of these ways are right, and none are wrong.

So, I suggest that you think about what is important to you in your images, and how you wish to be able to access them. Is it the subject, the location, or the times and trips? This will help you determine which option suits you.

All the best,

Have decided to sort the big Canadian roads by number ie CN & CP and then do the
other roads (TH&B) in a similar fashion.

Foreign roads by dates as invariably those were trips to said locations, and in an
alpha based order, ie C before N.

Maintenance of way by type, ditto rolling stock and structures.
Am amazed at the number of non-railway structures I have photographed, ditto with structures associated with railways.

Streetcars in Toronto, by date and order, as many of my shots were last runs
and also oddball locations as well as different roll signs.
For example a Cleveland car in TTC colours with the appropriate roll sign in the window from Cleveland. Ditto Louisville and similar.

And I have made positive contact with some collectors who are willing to exchange my slides for monetary reasons. At my age have far too many images which I shall
never use in a million years.

Best somebody else have them to use.

I figure move the slides to somebody who can use them,
then decide about my photo future.

There is much work ahead yet figure the less here
if something should happen to me, the better.

This damnable cancer and Lupus makes life at over sixty
years of age just that more complicated.

So how's by you of late?

Bryce