MPC, MTH, ABC, etc. Lionel--confused/ what-when-where

[Anonymous]

Hi all, I thought when you bought a train that said Lionel on the box you buying a genuine Lionel, So whats up with all the rest of these names- do they just pay Lionel to put in a Lionel box or what??
I read somewhere that some rock star now owns part of Lionel and that {again} the work has been sent out to the Asians---along with so many other American jobs--[:(] Congress, Senate and Presidents need to go!
Anyway don't mean to get into politics.
Any help on this subject would be appreciated[:)][:)]
Thanks1

[3railguy]

You are right. Lionel shut their Michigan plant down and moved all production over seas around 2000/2001. They subcontract the work. Lionel designs the product, writes the specs, and pays the subcontractors to manufacture the products.

[Anonymous]

expogs6

A sign of the times. For too long, Lionel refused to recognize MTH's move into the leadership position, and refused to see that they should produce what the market really wanted. Pullmor motors only belonged in Postwar Celebration re-issues, not in Dash 9s.

A move overseas was a must if Lionel was to compete with MTH's triple treat of higher quality, lower cost, and lower MTH dealer profit margains.

The market has also changed, O gaugers want much more than re-re-issues of postwar F-3's, geeps and berkshires. Unlike the MPC days, you can't put a stubby U boat body on a GP-7 frame and call it new. There's still a market for traditional trains, but look at the scale size stuff people want today.

Far from politics, there are some trains that (as far as I know) were never made in the US, brass for example. HO brass importers have been on the model railroad scene for decades.

Take a look at the N&W "J" in the new Lionel catalog, that would have never been mass produced domestically.

To be fair, Lionel has passed some of the overseas production savings to the consumer. A traditional berkshire that would have cost you $600 ten years ago now costs you $239.

Brady

Who runs a pullmor powered Lionel Dash 9 and wouldn't trade it for any MTH..

[3railguy]

Brady, can motors don't have the smell of a well lubed hot pullmore.

[Anonymous]

expogs6, MTH is Mikes Train House. He is Lionel's main competitor these days. Next would come K-Line. MPC is from the '70's. They were producing Lionel trains then. Also from the '70's was General Mills (yes, the cereal company). They too produced Lionel (they bought the rights to use the name and dies and such in '69 I believe). Other's can produce a better informed time line of who has used the Lionel name, I'm sure.

[Anonymous]

John

I agree, but hi-railers don't want pullmors, something Lionel took far too long to realize.

Brady