My Model Railroad vs Lionel Cab3
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
My Model Railroad
Easily catalog and track your model train collection. Never again wonder if you already own a specific piece of rolling stock. Manage collections by scale and maintain a wishlist.
- Catalog model train collections
- Track rolling stock
- Manage wishlists
- Create collections by scale
- Scale model calculator
Read full descriptionHide full description
My Model Railroad is the easiest way to catalog and track your model train collection! Ever seen a piece of rolling stock at your favorite hobby shop or train show and thought "Do I already own this?" Never again will you second guess yourself. Features: * Create unique model railroad collections based on each model scale you have * Create model railroad collections for personal, club, museum, or professional * Maintain your model railroad wishlist in a single and convenient way * Lightning fast scale model calculator to convert real world into many popular model railroad scales
Lionel Cab3
Control your Lionel model trains via Bluetooth or by connecting to a Base3 unit. Experience enhanced control and unlock the full potential of your electric train sets.
- Bluetooth locomotive control
- Base3 interface
- One-to-one pairing
- Full train potential unlock
Read full descriptionHide full description
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 rating: Lionel Cab3 at 3.6 against My Model Railroad's 3.0. Lionel Cab3 also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (26% vs 0%). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Lionel Cab3 holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lionel Cab3 has 57 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of My Model Railroad's written reviews are positive against 26% of Lionel Cab3's.
My Model Railroad ships an update every 4 months, Lionel Cab3 monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | My Model Railroad | Lionel Cab3 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (3 ratings) | 3.6 (57 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 26.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 57 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 42 MB | 28 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Merrimack Valley Models, LLC | Lionel, LLC |
Customer experience
My Model Railroad
Lionel Cab3
In-app purchases
My Model Railroad
No in-app purchases
Lionel Cab3
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is My Model Railroad free?
Is Lionel Cab3 free?
Which has better reviews, My Model Railroad or Lionel Cab3?
Do My Model Railroad or Lionel Cab3 have ads?
Which is updated more often, My Model Railroad or Lionel Cab3?
Other comparisons
