Kato vs Lionel:Which is more popular?
In October 2026, Lionel had more branded searches than Kato among model railway brands worldwide. Lionel had about 30,300 branded searches, while Kato had 6,800. Lionel made up 15% of all model railway brand searches we track, and Kato accounted for 3.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about model railway brands, Kato appeared in four of the five answers and Lionel in one. Kato was mentioned before Lionel in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Lionel, about 4 searches for every 1 for Kato
Who does AI mention more?
Kato, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Lionel in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
Kato, named ahead of Lionel in every answer
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Top model railway brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Kato was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Lionel was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Kato was listed before Lionel in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Bachmann4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Kato4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Hornby3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Marklin2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Athearn2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
PIKO2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Lionel1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Atlas Model Railroad1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Roco1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
MTH0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about model railway brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which model railway brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best model railway brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best model railway brand for a hobbyist?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“scale model railway”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“train model kits”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Kato or Lionel more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Kato and Lionel by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 15 model railway brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Lionel, Kato. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Hornby | MTH | Lionel | Marklin | Bachmann | Rapido Trains | Athearn | Kato | Walthers | Atlas Model Railroad | Roco | Graham Farish | Peco | PIKO | Fleischmann |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | 28.8% | 10.5% | 26.3% | 8.6% | 7.1% | 4.7% | 3% | 2.8% | 3.3% | 2.1% | 0.66% | 0.6% | 0.55% | 0.51% | 0.36% |
| Dec 2025 | 26.4% | 9.7% | 27.3% | 9.7% | 7.9% | 4.3% | 3.4% | 3.1% | 3.4% | 1.9% | 0.61% | 0.7% | 0.59% | 0.55% | 0.39% |
| Jan 2026 | 33.4% | 12.2% | 16.7% | 10% | 6.7% | 4.5% | 4.1% | 3.1% | 3.6% | 2.4% | 0.86% | 0.7% | 0.73% | 0.59% | 0.47% |
| Feb 2026 | 29.7% | 16.3% | 14.9% | 8.9% | 7.3% | 4.9% | 4.7% | 3.5% | 4% | 2.7% | 0.73% | 0.79% | 0.67% | 0.49% | 0.51% |
| Mar 2026 | 29.7% | 16.2% | 15.7% | 8.9% | 5.9% | 5.9% | 3.8% | 3.9% | 4% | 2.6% | 0.68% | 0.93% | 0.69% | 0.43% | 0.51% |
| Apr 2026 | 31.4% | 17.2% | 14.3% | 9.4% | 6.3% | 5.1% | 3.8% | 3.7% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 0.77% | 0.83% | 0.55% | 0.46% | 0.41% |
| May 2026 | 31.9% | 17.4% | 13% | 9.5% | 6.4% | 5.2% | 3.8% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 2.3% | 0.72% | 0.84% | 0.48% | 0.46% | 0.52% |
| Jun 2026 | 33.5% | 15% | 13.7% | 10% | 6.7% | 5.5% | 3.3% | 3.4% | 3.7% | 2.4% | 0.61% | 0.72% | 0.51% | 0.49% | 0.47% |
| Jul 2026 | 32.8% | 14.7% | 15.6% | 8% | 6.6% | 5.4% | 4% | 3.5% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.56% | 0.48% | 0.46% |
| Aug 2026 | 30.5% | 16.7% | 14.5% | 9.1% | 7.5% | 5% | 3.4% | 3.6% | 3.8% | 2.7% | 0.8% | 0.81% | 0.69% | 0.5% | 0.56% |
| Sep 2026 | 31.8% | 17.4% | 13.8% | 9.5% | 6.4% | 5.2% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3.9% | 1.9% | 0.67% | 0.84% | 0.57% | 0.53% | 0.42% |
| Oct 2026 | 30% | 16.4% | 15% | 11% | 6% | 6% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 3.2% | 2.2% | 0.94% | 0.79% | 0.66% | 0.64% | 0.49% |
How has branded search for Kato and Lionel changed worldwide over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Lionel was ahead of Kato in every measured month of the 12 months ending October 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Kato’s share of searches among model railway brands worldwide moved from 2.8% to 3.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 8.7K to 6.8K.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Lionel’s share of searches among model railway brands worldwide moved from 26.3% to 15%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 82.6K to 30.3K.
How did search popularity change for model railway brands worldwide in October 2026?
2 changes
In October 2026, Lionel gained share of searches among model railway brands worldwide, from 13.8% to 15%.
In October 2026, Kato rose from 9th to 8th among model railway brands worldwide.
How are Kato’s and Lionel’s branded searches counted?
5 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Kato’s and Lionel’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among model railway brands
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