Heritage Units vs Lionel Cab3
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Heritage Units
This app allows users to track and report special interest locomotives from major US railroads. View reported units on a map within a 200-mile radius and contribute new sightings directly from your device.
- Track heritage units
- Report new locomotive locations
- View locomotives on maps
- Search within 200 miles
- Support for major railroads
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Track and report Heritage units (locomotives) and other special interest units for Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, CSX, BNSF and other railroads. Features: • View reported locomotives within a 200 mile radius of your devices location. • Report a new locomotive location directly from the app • View locomotives on maps All recorded locomotive information is provided by volunteers using native apps and website (https://www.heritageunits.com) Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. Terms of use: https://www.heritageunits.com/user/terms Privacy policy: https://www.heritageunits.com/user/privacy
Lionel Cab3
Control your Lionel model trains directly via Bluetooth or by connecting to the Base3 command system. Experience enhanced control and unlock the full capabilities of your locomotives.
- Bluetooth locomotive control
- One-to-one pairing
- Base3 system interface
- Unlock full train potential
- Direct locomotive control
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This APP allows you to control your Lionel engines in two different ways. 1. Connect to Lionel Bluetooth-equipped locomotives in a one-to-one pairing, controlling them without the need of a command base. 2. Interface with Lionel's Base3 to unlock all the potential your Lionel model trains have to offer.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Lionel Cab3 at none against Heritage Units's 2. Lionel Cab3 also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). Heritage Units's advantage is review sentiment (58% vs 27%) and rating (4.1 vs 3.6). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Heritage Units sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per year. Lionel Cab3 asks for nothing beyond the download.
Heritage Units holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 258 and 56 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of Heritage Units's written reviews are positive against 27% of Lionel Cab3's.
Heritage Units ships an update every 10 days, Lionel Cab3 every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Heritage Units | Lionel Cab3 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (258 ratings) — better | 3.6 (56 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 58.1% of reviews — better | 27.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 258 — better | 56 |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 9.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 122 MB | 134 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Brian Minnich | Lionel, LLC |
Customer experience
Heritage Units
Lionel Cab3
Bugs and requests
Heritage Units
Reported bugs
14 issues- App crashes when refreshing or loading reports
- Persistent 'You've reached your limit for spots' error that lasts weeks or months
- Login credentials rejected despite correct password/username
- Automatic logout after 1-2 months of inactivity
- Premium subscription purchases not recognized by app
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- Email validation not working or emails not received
- Location tracking showing incorrect geographic location
- Reports not posting after submission despite multiple attempts
- Timezone error when submitting reports
- App incompatibility with certain iOS versions (iOS 12, etc.)
- Cannot report certain locomotives that exist in database
- Notification system stops working after initial use
- API exceptions with no user-side resolution
- Random account suspensions without explanation
Requested features
15 requests- Dark mode and light mode toggle
- Report timestamp visibility to distinguish old vs new reports
- Edit and delete buttons for submitted reports
- Increase daily/monthly report submission limits
- Ability to favorite or star specific locomotives
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- View history of past reports made by user
- Color-coded report age indicators (green for current, red for old, etc.)
- Push notifications for units within 50-100 miles
- Guest mode without account creation requirement
- Chat feature for railfan community discussion
- Add more heritage units to database (NS 3625, BNSF H1s, etc.)
- Unlimited photo uploads for free users
- Live time and destination information for trains
- Ability to report multiple units in single photo with highlights
- Include normal locomotives, not just heritage units
Lionel Cab3
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Heritage Units
- Ad Free$0.991 Year
- Premium Membership$5.991 Year
Lionel Cab3
No in-app purchases
