Backup & app
V13 keeps the collection outside the app folder and can be installed on Android as a standalone web app.
📱 Install on this phone
Download the signed Lionel Catalog Android app for the camera workflow and Bluetooth shutter support.
⬇ Install Lionel CatalogAndroid: your browser may ask permission to install apps from this source the first time.
Server requirement: the Android app connects to the hosted Lionel Catalog server and needs a network connection.
Permanent data folder
/home/ubuntu/.lionel_train_catalog
This folder contains catalog.sqlite3, photos, and thumbs. Do not delete it when replacing the application with a newer version.
Import old catalog
Bring an older Lionel Catalog into this hosted collection without replacing anything already here. ZIP the old lionel_catalog project folder or its data folder; the importer will find the database, photos, and thumbnails automatically.
Merge, not replace: imported listings are added as new items. Existing hosted listings are untouched.
Safe to retry: the same exact ZIP is detected and will not be imported twice.
V3 compatible: its single group assignment is automatically converted into the newer multi-group system.
Large collections: if the ZIP is over your Nginx upload limit, raise client_max_body_size before importing.
Portable backup
Download a complete ZIP of the catalog database and all saved images. Keep occasional copies on another drive.
⬇ Download complete backup