As a follow up, given that the tinplate licensing agreement between MTH and Lionel happened more than a decade ago, this may be of interest. The above posts refreshed my recollection that the leadership of Lionel may have been interested in moving on to a more cooperative era following the conclusion of the litigation. Selected portions taken from the link below:
"... [I'm] very pleased that M.T.H. and Lionel will be working together on this new Lionel and American Flyer tinplate line,οΎ” said Jerry Calabrese, Lionel CEO. Calabrese went on to say, [In] times as difficult and challenging as these, I hope [it's} reassuring to all model train fans that both our companies will be joining forces to write a productive new chapter in our hobby's history. There is no better way to express our mutual belief and commitment to the future of model railroading than for Lionel and M.T.H. to collaborate on something as imaginative and exciting as these new Tinplate products.
This collaboration builds on what we've accomplished with our Tinplate Traditions line over the past three decades, noted M.T.H. President Mike Wolf. It is no secret to those who know me that Lionel's history has inspired me since my youth. Wolf went on to say, By working together, our two companies will be able to offer products that even more faithfully evoke the beauty and artistry of the toys that Lionel and American Flyer turned out in the prewar years, as well as make those trains available to a wider audience.
Wolf added, Putting aside the differences our firms have had over the years, Jerry and I have always recognized how much synergy exists between Lionel and M.T.H. Together we sat down and worked out this agreement with the express goal of expanding on both firms' longstanding commitments to grow our hobby.
