Just to set the record straight, K-line went of business because they infringed on one of Lionel's patients regarding Lionel's smoke unit used in Lionel locomotives. Following that law suit hearing early in 2005 the K-line lawyer at the settlement said something stupid regarding the law suit that the Lionel lawyers took exception to and Lionel's lawyers reopened the law suit asking for the full amount of the original amount that Lionel wanted. I was employed in the model train industry at the time and saw the details the law suit.
By the way I purchased on of the K-line Shays with TMCC as listed in the 2004 volume 1 K-line catalog when the catalog price was $650.00.
There was as interesting result of K-line going out of business because of the law suit. There were former K-line product that sat in the warehouse of the Chinese manufacture waiting for someone to purchase the products. Lionel did just that in 2008. After the shipments arrived here at Lionel they were sold to several of their dealers. I purchased two set of 18" passenger cars that were included in these shipments. They were the four car sets of Metro-Link and Caltrains cars. It was probably the only time that cartons of one company in this case marked from K-line had Lionel shipping labels on them. I purchased them for 40% off of the catalog price which came to $300.00 per set.
