@E-UNIT-79 posted:Anybody who's been in the Hobby for sometime knows that Mike Wolfe single-handedly changed the face of O gauge railroading. To say any less would be a disservice to the man because of his diligence foresight and competitive nature we have what we have today.
I disagree. Maury D. Klein helped change the landscape of O gauge railroading also. Although his company, MDK Inc. initially offered only track and plastic accessories under the K-Line brand, it wasn't long before they started offering cheap freight cars and later engines. Yes, the quality was low compared to Lionel, but K-Line took steps to improve the quality in all of their products. In time, K-Line's offerings in the market raised the bar for quality and value at a lower price compared to Lionel's products. Not only did they improve the quality by adding separate pieces like brake wheels, under-carriage detailing, and ladders, but their prices were consistently lower across the board. K-Line introduced StreamLighting and fully-detailed interiors for their passenger cars. K-Line also started to produce scale-sized & scale-detailed products as the company grew. Even their K-Line Collectors Club offered good values. They had low club dues that at first offered as premiums two high-quality freight cars w/die-cast trucks for a low price in addition to a subscription to their newsletter, "The K-Line Connection". K-Line even produced two distinct types of track designs, Super "K" & SuperSnap, that many O gauge enthusiasts still like and prefer over other brands due to their look and versatility.
All of the products K-Line released impacted the market beginning in the 1970s and continuing into the early 2000s. Both Lionel AND MTH felt it and they had to deal with the additional challenges over the years.
I'm not negating anything Mike and his company did, but I think it's unfair to make it seem he was the only one issuing innovative products.
