It was recently brought to my attention that an apparent connection obtains between the agent of Korea Brass, Yoo Chan Yang, and the Asian subcontractor for Lionel, Korea Brass. This fact might well be worth considering in light of the recent jury award announced in the M.T.H./Lionel lawsuit. As you may know, Yoo Chan Yang and Korea Brass were defendants along with Lionel in the civil lawsuit. It was discovered that Korea Brass’s U.S. address was also the address of Yoo Chan Yang. What’s more, it also appears that the HO importer, Broadway Limited, shares the same address.
This information, which was found by researching the Virginia State Corporation Commission database, may suggest that either Yoo Chan Yang, Korea Brass or both have some ownership or managerial stake in Broadway Limited. Given their defeat in the M.T.H./Lionel lawsuit (where the jury found misappropriation of M.T.H.'s trade secrets), should not the same scrutiny as was leveled at Lionel also be directed at Broadway Limited? Does that raise any question as to whether Broadway Limited models might also tainted? Since it can be argued that Broadway Limited may be owned or controlled in some form by those found liable in the M.T.H. case, one might consider Broadway Limited’s prior business practices before purchasing their products.
It will be interesting to see, as more and more facts in this case come to light, if the consumer will blindly support any firm which profits illegally or unethically at the expense of others. The tapes we’ve heard on the national news of Enron employees joking about their actions and how they affected the western U.S. energy crisis certainly disgusts all who hear them. While the model railroad industry creates products of far less importance than our energy resources, the manner in which any entity engages in business should a matter of universal concern. I find it incredibly disheartening that a hobby we are supposed to enjoy in our leisure time appears to have been tainted with individuals a
As near as I know, Broadway Limited HO scale models are cast metal and plastic, not brass, so I don’t see any connection here. The MTH threatened legal action against all DCC manufacturers has already had an adverse effect on the QSI sound systems used in Broadway Limited models and others, as well as SoundTraxx decoders. I consider MTH the villain in these cases, since they appear to be trying to patent something that has been specified in the NMRA DCC standards for a couple of years already, and should be in the public domain.
Now, with all due respect, your statement “seems” to suggest that Broadway Limited is “guilty by association”. Your closing statement: …“question how its success came about so quickly”. Come on now, guy! It seems simple enough for even a child to figure out: Ready-to-Run locomotives equipped with sound!, How many modelers have been dreaming about this for years?! I was one of them!
BTW: Success has not been so easy for Broadway. Thier early run steamers and GG1s had some mechanical problems that they’ve had to overcome.
If there has been some illegal activity, it will come out eventually. For now, unless there is some evidence, Broadway is legit!
MTH was “the victim” in the Lionel lawsuit. Seems like MTH won big! However, with regards to the QSI lawsuit, in my humble opinion, QSI “IS NOT” the bad guy.
Hopefully the court will dismiss or throw this suit out. If MTH wins this one, WE ALL LOSE!
Their steam NOW have the same problems. Read the article “BLI problems” in begining of the June issue of Model Railroad News. Mine aren’t the only jacked up units.
There is a lot of similarity in the mechanism of Broadway’s GG1 and the Lionel Veranda. Then again there’s some similarity between the old Athearn drives and Life-Like’s P2k chassis too. I guess it will all come out in the wash. Unfortunately about the only people who’ll benefit from all this legal wrangling are the lawyers.
I had a bad BLI Mikado as well. One phone call to BLI is all it took. They are very good at standing behind their products. You can find their contact information on their website. Don’t hesitate to call, you won’t be dissapointed. They took my engine back no questions asked and sent out another.
That was my experience as well with BLI. The LED headlight in my NYC hudson was bad, and I never noticed until just recently (I bought it last year about this time). I emailed the guy I bought it from and in no time i got an email from BLI saying they were sending replacement parts.
I have been a little surprised at how many people are saying they have had problems. I’m on 4 BLI locos and the only issue to date is that one headlight…
The guy says he bought an A class that ran fine for 6 months then a mysterious short circut occured in the locomotive. Then he mentions he bought a M1a that wouldn’t run at all out of the box. He sent the defective M1a back to the store and got another one. The 2nd M1a ran two laps around the track and the valve gear fell apart! He sent both the A class and 2nd M1a back to BLI. They sent him 2 brand new units.
The 3rd M1a in his posession would only run in reverse! No forward movement! And his new A class ran with an extreme wobble and and the transmission was screwed! Then he sent both units back to BLI.
Now he’s waiting to see what there going to send him next.
So far he has spent $50 on S&H back and forth. Unbelievable!
[:(!]Here is your " HO Connection"[tdn] http://www.mth-railking.com/newsdetail.asp?artid=169
It seems the rumors I heard over 2 years ago about MTH wanting to get into HO itself ARE true. Now all the reasons for them trying to grab the DCC competition by the jugular are all clear.[|(]
To MTH, I say this.[oX)] (I know your little spies are here to see this)
No way, no how, no matter how nice of an HO engine you build, will it ever see the light of day on my layout. [:O]
I hope you lose your lawsuit,[}:)] lose your butts in the HO market, [}:)]and Lionel buys you out![}:)]