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TrainMan line and Union Pacific Heritage licencing

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  • Member since
    April 2003
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TrainMan line and Union Pacific Heritage licencing
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, May 15, 2006 11:39 PM
The TrainMan line has many locos and cars with graphics and colors that are offically licenced by the Union Pacific Railroad. This is the positive side of the Union Pacific licencing. The colors and graphics are totally accurate and consistent for each time period.

Many of the MTH Locomotives and Cars for Union Pacific and Chicago & North Western have ended up with colors far too dark and some graphics that are not consistent. The yellows and grays for some UP and CNW items over the past 10 years have been incorrect and too deep.

I noticed that even without licencing the new Lionel Standard O Scale models with UP and C&NW Schemes appear totally authentic in the 2006 Catalog.

The results of Atlas O having a licencing agreement with the UPRR have resulted in high-fidelity reproductions. That is the good news.

Andrew Falconer
  • Member since
    May 2005
  • 382 posts
Posted by trigtrax on Tuesday, May 16, 2006 1:49 AM
The results of Atlas O having a licencing agreement with the UPRR have resulted in high-fidelity reproductions. That is the good news.

The legal issue in the case is the fact that model UP trains have been made without license for decades. Under TradeMark Laws their logos are considered abandoned and in the public domain. This was the basis for MTH filing for a summary Judgement . If the MTH motion is granted, Lionel, MTH and Williams are off the hook and Atlas is stuck with an extra expense. High fidelity reproductions just involves formulating the right shades of paint. This may turn out to be bad news for Atlas O
  • Member since
    January 2005
  • 1,991 posts
Posted by Frank53 on Tuesday, May 16, 2006 2:03 AM
Hopefully MTH will at least spell UNION PACIFIC correctly, as opposed to the butcher job the just did on the M-E-R-R-M-A-C.

Onion Pacific anyone?
  • Member since
    January 2005
  • From: Lake Worth FL
  • 4,014 posts
Posted by phillyreading on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 9:11 AM
Of course Atlas has better looking UP stuff but look at the price tag too. I think that Atlas wants to stay out of court and do the right thing far as licensing goes.
Lionel & MTH have legal battles going on to include licensing issues with the UPRR. As to getting the colors wrong it must be a real goof-up at the company office or an attempt not to be sued.
Lee Fritz
Interested in southest Pennsylvania railroads; Reading & Northern, Reading Company, Reading Lines, Philadelphia & Reading.

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