Lionel Corporation / MTH agreement

Well, I’m not 100 percent sure (don’t have the catalog in front of me) but I believe the two different tinplate clubs represent one for O gauge and one for Standard gauge. And I assume the other set of two are for different MTH products lines, e.g., Railking, etc.

The overall health of LCT seems to be good. They’re into their, what, 4th year and I know the working agreement has been extended for a few more years.

I have no insight into the Ives, Dorfan issue.

Maybe the question should be: Will MTH continue its OWN "Tinplate Traditions" line?

OR  

Will MTH have to wait for their current "arrangement" with Lionel to end? 

Where is Locolawyer?

al

Since nobody here knows the content of the existing agreement between Lionel and MTH, there is nobody on this forum in a position to do anything except speculate (wildly).  And, of course, that accomplishes absolutely nothing.

But, some legitimate questions have been asked. 

Another possibility is that MTH is waiting to reissue everything with PS-3.  I loved the pulling power with can motors but hated the battery issues in PS-2.

Oh, it's fun sometimes to just shoot the bull with the guys and gals. Harmless fun and a great way to relax. 

It all depends on what the agreement reads. I doubt that MTH will abandon the tinplate traditions line but we may not see it until the agreement /contract with Lionel is up. All speculation of course but I would like to see a reissue of the Leland monorail set done sometime. Very pricey if you can find one!

 Can you explain what battery issiues you have had with PS-2.

What ever agreement the two have come to, it must be mutually beneficial, or at least, mitigates liability for one party or the other. But I guess really who cares?

For whatever reason, Lionel was not able to produce items they originally did design and produce, and MTH could produce them, but not use the Lionel name. So, there you have it. A marketing strategy that both can live with.

Lionel Classics was also between Mike Wolf and Lionel. That ended abruptly. Enjoy this while you can, and if this is your thing, get while the getting is good. I doubt this relationship will last forever.

It's nice to see the stuff with Lionel badging. Never cared for old Lionel designs with some generic name or MTH on them. Just seemed wrong to me.

Sharing my feelings about the MTH battery system would require me to use language entirely inappropriate for a public internet forum.  

But i'll just say that of two 1134s -- bought new from MTH dealers -- both turned into attractive decoration on sidings  of the IVES Lines.

I thought AF and L split up Ives in the Pre-War era.  Then in the 1960's L got AF!  L has Ives name on the botton of some track clips to keep the copyrights up.  So who owns the Ives name now?

MTH

Worst thing that ever happened to me with a dead or weak battery was the engine not holding in the handheld. After shutdown the engine would need to be reinstalled. New battery was the cure.

In PS-1 I had to have a chip reset once.

Gilbert Ives,

What serious issue did you experience? Are you sure you're not talking about PS1?

Sunrise

So who owns the Ives name now?

MTH. Lionel let the trademark lapse, and Mike grabbed it.

1134s were made with PS-2.

edit my bad they did come in PS-1

Also PS1, Jim.  I have a 10-1123-1 which is a black 1134 in PS-1.

I was thinking of a different engine.

Even in PS-1 I did not know a battery issue could ruin a engine. Always thought worst case scenario a scrambled chip.