Regardless...it is buyer beware just like anything, don't sit on a sealed box, get it out and test it.
These trains are expensive, at least a few hundred dollars up thru and beyond $2k sometimes.
Most OGR sponsors if not all will make good on it someway or another.
I have no faith in Lionel or MTH when it comes to sending stuff back to get fixed.
In all seriousness chipset, I understand your concern. The few issues I have had with Lionel products were addressed promptly in response to emails and things were made right accordingly.
Any questions I've had regarding my own "out of warranty" parts/ repair were always answered quickly with part info so I could correct the problem.
In one instance I had an "out of warranty" loco that I bought new old stock. A few legacy accessory lighting control features did not function, ( no ability to turn them off ) I contacted Lionel about the issue, and said I was content leaving it alone if necessary.
The immediate response was a return shipping label, loco was returned within 2 weeks and all features operate as described.
Its unfortunate that "issues" are a part of a hobby that is to "narrow marketed" for more reliablity. If Lionel was the only manufacturer with out of box issues I'd be more hesitant. However, problems are possible across all brands, even the brass manufacturers that only produce a couple hundred locos.
I enjoy this hobby. The attention Lionel has given me when it comes to "making things right" makes me confident that if issues arise in the future I will be able to get them taken care of. I'm actually more "leary" of some other brands that do not have the "parts/service" setup/ capabilities that Lionel has.
