Modern

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Modern Era Lionel (1970 - today):

After the original Lionel Corporation sold the rights to manufacture trains to General Mills in 1969, the Modern Era of Lionel trains began the following year. The Lionel Corporation itself would continue on as a holding company, investing in various chains of retail stores and electronics companies while receiving royalties on toy train sales made by General Mills (later Lionel Trains, Inc.). In 1991 the original Lionel Corporation sold its trademarks to Lionel Trains, Inc. for $10 million and eventually went out of business in 1993.

1970 - 1986: Tooling purchased from the Lionel Corporation was moved to a new factory in Mt. Clemens, Michigan and limited production of Lionel trains began under MPC name. The greatest contribution of this era were "fast-angle wheels" with needlepoint bearings and trains being produced in a wider variety of roadnames and colors and with improved graphics that were not previously available during the postwar period.

1986 - 1995: In 1986, Lionel was sold again, this time to toy-train collector and real estate developer Richard P. Kughn of Detroit, Michigan and became Lionel Trains Inc (LTI). This era of Lionel had a strong resurgence with the introduction of many new and creative trains, accessories and best of all, the introduction of state-of-the-art electronics.

1995 - today: In 1995, LTI was sold to an investment group and renamed Lionel, LLC and continues to manufacture and improve the Lionel train line each year. Although Lionel, LLC now owns all of the trademarks and most of the product rights associated with the original Lionel Corporation founded in 1900, there is no direct connection between the two companies.

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