 Welcome to the Lionel 1970s O27 Resource. This website section presents locomotives
produced by Lionel during the 1970s and into the
1980s. This period in Lionel's history is the time when the company was owned by General Mills. General Mills took over Lionel in 1969, after the toy maker went into bankruptcy in the late
1960s. General Mills operated Lionel in their MPC division. A reorganization within General Mills in 1973 put Lionel in
the Fundimensions group. The 1970s saw changes for Lionel that included the addition of scale or Standard O offerings. These
cars were formering in the AHM O-scale product line and staying with Lionel for a short time in the mid 1970s. Lionel would
also return to HO-scale model trains in 1974, having been absent in this segment of the hobby since 1966. The HO-scale (1/87th
actual size) line was short-lived lasting to 1977. Lionel introduced American Flyer S-scale offers in the late 1970s, General
Mills having purchased the brand and toolings after A.C.
Gilbert went bankrupt. Towards the end of this website's survey period 1982, Lionel production moves to Mexico. This
is the first time O27 toy trains were produced outside the United States. Manufacturing returned to the U.S. in 1984. By
the mid 1980s, Lionel was then part of General Mills' Kenner-Parker division. The Kenner-Parker holds of General Mills go
independent of the cereal company and Lionel is purchased by Richard Kughn in 1986. This change in ownership in 1986 marks
the conclusion of the review period for this website. |
