Lionel does do some odd things now and then, such as cylindrical hoppers with misaligned scale wheels complete with the large American Flyer couplers. The latest U33Cs and U36Cs should have scale wheels as an option, as you said. The Y-3s could run on DC, but they didn't seem to know it until that was pointed out to them (the backup light on the tender is on in forward and off in reverse, though.) At the end of 2014 about 6.4% of all ES44ACs had the headlight between the numberboards, and I agree that Norfolk Southern's "Heritage Bandwagon" was all that Lionel was looking at then. Although it bothered me, I figured I could fake it a bit by fitting a BTS headlight with MV lenses into the rectangular depression meant for a nose light on the ES44AC. It's held on only by GOOP glue so as not to damage the paint if I were to remove it. It doesn't light, but that locomotive trails the BNSF SD70ACe with the numberboard headlight and, unfortunately, a number for an SD70ACe with the nose light.
If it weren't for the misplaced headlight, the ES44AC locomotives would rank along the Y-3 and the Berkshire as American Flyer locomotives where Lionel got almost everything right. Since the Mikado nearly 15 years ago, Lionel has provided some very nice locomotives for the S gauge high-railer. With just a little more effort they could appeal to those who use scale track to run diesel locomotives. 
