I think it is fair to say that Mike Wolf and Lionel were using each other in the time period when Mike was producing all that Scale product that Lionel was stamping their name on. Lionel had been doing nothing new and certainly nothing that had any detail that we would expect from the mid 90's forward. Lionel bought time to try and upgrade their product line. Mike created a supply chain that put him in position to become the leading force in the transformation of the industry to Scale.
Mike always played hardball. Whether it was ousting the Williams product line when he was the largest distributor, developing and marketing the infamous diesel in direct competition with Lionel when he was a Lionel subcontractor or working behind the scenes with Weaver and his Korean connections to develop the 'Weaver' Brass line of steam engines, highly detailed diesels and passenger sets(for that time period) again behind Lionel's back, Mike played to win.
I only know from hearsay that Mike wanted to own Lionel. But, can you imagine a story line where that was not the dream?
