MTH ELECTRIC TRAINS

New York City, NY, Jan. 5, 2009 -- Lionel Electric Trains announced today that it has entered into a multi-year licensing agreement with M.T.H. Electric Trains, in which the Columbia, MD, model train maker will create a new line of tinplate Lionel Standard and O gauge products. The license will also include tinplate Standard and O gauge offerings for American Flyer, which has been part of Lionel since its acquisition in 1967.

Using its extensive collection of tinplate tooling, M.T.H. plans to issue new versions of Lionel and American Flyer classic tinplate trains and accessories that were originally released between 1900 and 1942. These products will be packaged in all-new boxes with iconic Lionel and American Flyer advertising images and logos from the prewar tinplate era. Promotion of new tinplate Lionel and American Flyer products will begin in early 2009, with full-color catalogs. A Web site, dedicated to the new product line, will also offer product videos, sound clips and other information not available in print catalogs.

ﾓIﾒm very pleased that M.T.H. and Lionel will be working together on this new Lionel and American Flyer tinplate line,ﾔ said Jerry Calabrese, Lionel CEO. Calabrese went on to say, ﾓIn times as difficult and challenging as these, I hope itﾒs reassuring to all model train fans that both our companies will be joining forces to write a productive new chapter in our hobbyﾒ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.

ﾓThis collaboration builds on what weﾒve accomplished with our Tinplate Traditions line over the past three decades,ﾔ noted M.T.H. President Mike Wolf. ﾓIt is no secret to those who know me that Lionelﾒs history has inspired me since my youth.ﾔ Wolf went on to say, ﾓ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, ﾓ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ﾒ longstanding commitments to grow our hobby.ﾔ

Based in New York City, Lionel has been making model trains and accessories since 1900. It is one of the world's leading model train companies, and among the most widely recognized brands in America.

M.T.H. Electric Trains is a seasoned model train manufacturer with a long history of innovation. In little more than a quarter century, M.T.H. - beginning as a tiny business operated out of a spare bedroom - has created an appealing multi-gauge product line ranging from starter sets to high-end collectibles.

To learn more about The Lionel Corporation, CLICK HERE.