D500,
My solution to the rubber tire issue has been to buy only MTH Premier diesel locomotives, most of which have provision for changing out wheel 'n' axle sets. Unlike most Lionel diesels, this K-Line model has an openable gear box so that I can do exploratory surgery without fear of permanent damage.
Interestingly, my Lionel ALCo S-2 has provision for changing wheel 'n' axle sets and, unlike MTH, Lionel has a good parts identification pages with exploded views. Their parts department is GREAT.
Being a big fan of Rich Batista's Forum postings, I bought his DVDs, the last of which (It's All About The Trains) gave me quite an education on the matter of 3RS. Though he apparently has no objection to rubber tires, he does recommend the "scale wheel" versions of MTH diesels for the other reasons - fixed pilot, Kadee readiness, and full length handrails plus some other very worthwhile tips.
Sadly, there is no alternative that I know of for steam other than Max Gray. The choices are rubber tires or nothing. My experience with Max Gray locomotives was lusting after them while walking past All Nation Hobby Shop as a much, much younger man. Maybe someday...
