Mike Reagan Resigns from Lionel

Wow!

Wish Mike the best!!! 

For real?  Is this a spoof of some sort?  

Wow, didn't see that coming. Wishing Mike all the best.

Probably not good for us. Hope I'm wrong.

How could he not want to continue to deal with guys as unassuming, modest and polite as those found in the model railroading hobby in general, and the O-gauge wing of it in particular? 

Wait - is that a unicorn over there...?

A pair of BIG shoes to fill.

I as well did not see this coming!

Mike has certainly been a great asset to Lionel.

I really found his videos most helpful.

All the best Mike with your new plans.

Dave

Real deal.  I communicated with Mike directly and he confirmed this with me.  Mike has done many things in the hobby that I doubt if anyone else could do.   He is a huge wealth of knowledge and a good friend.  Mike was the reason I started buying Legacy locomotives.  The Lionel school he ran was the best I have ever been to.  He has always been a great help to many.  Joe, you said it all.  None of us saw that coming.  Mike is a key word in the hobby.  

WOW, what a bummer.  I'll miss him, he was a real asset to Lionel and to the hobby in general.  I sure didn't see this coming!

Anyone know what he's going to?  I'm assuming he has a pretty nice landing spot picked out.

This is true, and I'm very upset about it. Mike is a great friend and an ambassador for Lionel , he will be missed. 

Alex 

I also wish Mike the best. I am sure he will do well with whatever he chooses to do.

I am certainly hoping he will stay in the O gauge hobby/business/field in some way or another. I have learned a lot from his Lionel videos and the knowledge gained there has helped me to advance in getting re-started in the hobby. 

This really is shocking news to hear.

This is a major gaffe for Lionel. They should have done whatever it took to keep him on board.

Quite a surprise. Too bad he didn't stay in the service department. That position seemed a perfect fit for him.

Great GUY and hope for him the very best at his next endeavor.

I never dealt with the man but know his reputation through the Forum.  Sad to see talent leave but wish him the best.

Just one word, CRAP! He was a special guy and he will be missed deeply, really feel bad, like seeing a puppy get smushed.  Good luck Mike, fair winds and following seas.

John Pignatelli

Sorry to see Mike go.  Great guy    Maybe Mike will make Mike an offer!!!!!!

That's a real shock. Considering how Mike appeared to have a great blend of technical knowledge, attention to detail and yet still being a "train guy" I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned about Lionel's immediate future.

A true ambassador... gone...

Is this why my Lionel parts did not show up yet? Its been over a week!

Definitely a MAJOR loss for Lionel.  Mike was one of the "good guys" in the hobby industry, and gave all of us a glimmer of hope that somebody working for Lionel Stateside was actually a competent and authoritative source of "real" information when we needed it.  He understood the importance of jumping on the forum with timely and accurate information.  It's a simple concept, but understood by very few in the business... and he was one of the few "who got it". 

Wishing him the very best going forward.

David

WOW.  Best of luck Mike.

Certainly hopes this is in MIKE'S best interest!

A really nice guy who I had met very briefly at my first York in Oct 09 near the Lionel display. Had no idea who he was and he talked with me in a very warm and friendly manner. Then, one evening several years later I had posted something on the Forum asking a question when the phone rings and it's Mike. This was at 5:15 his time and he spent about 15 minutes talking with me after hours.  I was impressed with his personal touch. Thanks again Mike! You're definitely one of the good guys

Another thing about MIKE that I will miss is his videos of product demonstrations for Lionel.  They were always informative and on APRIL 1st a good laugh!!!

Darn!  Been dealing with Mike since his TAS days, he is the real deal and the reason Lionel products and the service dept are so good.  On another hand there's now an opening at Lionel

This news is not the way I like to start a week!  Missed seeing Mike last Friday at the warehouse open house and am certain that his presence will be further missed in Lionel situations. 

Mike, you have been a true help and professional friend ever since our first meeting in the early days of TAS.  If you read these postings, get in touch so I will know where to send the strawberry preserves.

Best wishes,

Howard

Not a good thing.  Not a good thing at all.

Mike will be missed ... and missed much.

Must be a good job back in Ohio, or maybe Trump has him for some position.

Best to you Mike.

Dennis

I bet there was some friction with the management. Some managers think that it is more important to micromanage than to let a good employee who knows the job run with it.

This is just speculation on my part and I know nothing about it, but I have seen more managers run  good employees out of the door than you can imagine.

Just because you are the boss, everything does not have to be done the boss's way, down to the last detail and the precise minute. Sometimes the boss has to be smart enough to know how valuable an employee really is, but generally the boss is too busy bossing.

My daddy used to say: "The boss may not always be right, but the boss is always the boss."

Mike : you will be missed by many !

Lionel just loss a wealth of knowledge. Wish you the best Mike. You will be sorely missed.

Best of luck Mike in your new adventure wherever that may be. Personally, I hope it is in the o gauge train world so we can all continue to enjoy an benefit from your amazing talents!!

A sad day when a talent like that walks out the door. To me he was Lionel. 

Terrific and able guy who made many contributions.  Lionel has a big hole to fill in its senior leadership. 

Wow!  Mike is such an important player.  Lionel losing him is a big deal, and a great loss for those of us who love model trains!

Miiiike....Miiike, come back Mike!

Sorry Joey, I have to be moving on.

WOW, what a loss for Lionel. Well, I guess they didn't need Mike to sell Thomas engines or Lionchief or NASCAR. But what a loss for the people who buy the high end stuff and need and want support.

I have also dealt with Mike since his TAS days and have always found him to be a pleasure to deal with. A man of his word who knew what he was doing and did it right. I will also miss him.

Mike, I wish you the VERY BEST and hope that you end up somewhere in the toy train industry so I can continue to amaze you with my lack of knowledge.

Gerry

PS  Is it true that you are buying OGR?

Maybe Mike got tired of coming up with new/unique offerings only have Lionel screw up.  i.e. the spoked drivers on some of the ese hudsons. Or not deliver at all like  the sellers feed water details on some of the fefs that were incentives towards the bto baloney.

Of course Mike really came through for the folks that bought those problem wrought Century Club niagaras.

I'm sure he didn't get those gears made for free and I'm sure corporate didn't like it. Nontheless it was the right thing to do for folks who spend a grand and ended up with a paper weight.

Imo, Lionels best days were when Mike cleaned up the parts and service dept.

What a shame, he had Lionel running "full steam ahead" too.

Given the seemingly never-ending demand for repair work on increasingly more complex high-end electronics found in today's diesel engines and steam locomotives perhaps Mike should do what many in your profession do, Gerry.  You know, "hang out his own shingle."  I'm sure business would be brisk.

I don't think this will affect Lionel in the long run. They did just fine back when he was running TrainAmerica, where he would frequently bash Lionel in favor of MTH. He did a nice job of modernizing the support department for sure, but Lionel has been around for a long time before him and will be around a long time after him I'm sure. That's what I like about doing business with larger companies and not small one man shops. Employees can leave and the company keeps on going.

Hartman posted:

Must be a good job back in Ohio, or maybe Trump has him for some position.

Best to you Mike.

Dennis

 

Secretary of Transportation?