Lionel statement to dealers 6/22

[garyseven]

dgoodlander
http://ogaugerr.infopop.cc/eve/ubb.x?q=Y&a=tpc&s=63160042&f=57660482&m=848101109&p=1

[Anonymous]

While I've been under my rock for the last few years, I completely missed the Lionel v. MTH lawsuit. Can some one give me the quick run down of what happened and why MTH sued Lionel?

[garyseven]

Too little - Too Late.

Too little...
"We continue to assert our innocence..."
Lionel needs a decent PR firm, and quit using Cut'n'Paste forms from the attached CDROM in the book "PR for Dummies Whose Got Hands Caught in the Cookie Jar."
I may be just a big dumb guy who plays with trains, but, as a stand alone statement - it just sounds guilty. How about " We are innocent, and will to continue to assert that fact."
The rest, sheer boilerplate.

...Too Late
"The recent events have sparked too much disturbing speculation regarding the future of Lionel"
Where was Lionel on Verdict Day or even V + 1?!? Unavailable for comment. E ven a simple boilerplate statement from Lionel would have ended the "disturbing speculation" that we have all read (and authored) on various forums.

All this uust goes to prove my original comment way back on Verdict Day - there's no strong leadership at the top of Lionel. IMHO Someone from Wellspring needs to bring in a wartime consigliere. But even that just may be...
Too little - Too Late.
Don't you think?!? or don't you?!?

[3railguy]

It kind of reminds me of the Rodney King videos that got America so upset with only one a glimpse of what really happened. I mean Lionel's subcontractor did wrong but it works both ways. MTH's subcontractors have been reproducing Lionel pre and postwar Lionel for over two decades. MTH even put it's name on the boiler plates of tinplate reproduction steamers. Nobody except *** Kughn really cared.

[Anonymous]

Lionel's response seems to me quite genuine.

It reminds me of the story in which a fellow is falling \off a tall building. Another man leans out the window and yells to him as he passes:

"How is it going?"

And while rapidly decending, the falling man shouts back :

"So far so goooood!"

Alan

[Gorgeman]

If Lionel would only make ONE item per year, in the US,
people would buy it .
The only problem is with the company statement,is that
last sentence. It should be corrected to read :

"Lionel will continue to make the best trains made in China " .

[Anonymous]

I wonder what took them so long to respond. It will drag on in court for several more years so I doubt if we any immediate change in business.

[willpick]

Having read the text of the Lionel statement(on the OGR board [:p]) I was struck by how formulaic it read.
You could have substituted MTH for Lionel and not changed another word[:)]!.
It read(to me at least) like the annoucement you would hear on a cruise ship that just ran aground : "This is your captain [4:-)] speaking- Do not be alarmed! While we just hit a reef, I am assured that no harm has come to our vessel- There is no need to panic, the watertight doors are sealed, we are still afloat, and the crew has exstinguished the fire in the engine room. Please wait for the crew to lower the lifeboats- DO NOT jump overboard"[:)] [:p][:)]
Please- I felt a little levity was needed[:)]- I sincerly hope that MTH and Lionel can settle this whole mess soon.

[Anonymous]

Finally, a response from Lionel.

pax[C):-)]

[Bob Keller]

We've posted the text of the letter Lionel sent to the dealer network. It is off of the homepage.

Everybody remain calm and breathe deeply, no reason to get worked up...

http://www.trains.com/maghomepage/maghomepage.asp?idMagazine=4