Don’t feel bad: my new GP-9 Torpedo from Lionel has a malfunctioning reverse system in “Conventional,” which is how I will run it. It runs NEUTRAL-REVERSE-NEUTRAL and never cycles into FORWARD.
Going back for repair or replacement by the vendor. I could live with the problem since it does indeed run in one direction, but at $500, I refuse to. We deserve properly running equipment at the high price we pay.