AUSSTEVE,
I cannot tell if the new engine will meet my expectations until I buy it. But the odds are now highly in favor that Lionel engines will not work properly.
I returned a Shay with bad gears to MB Klein, a B&O GP9 that gears did not even touch and Lionel Service broke the coupler lift bar off the front of the engine, that MB Klein accepted back. A Nickle Plate GP 9 #482 that had a broken front Lift Ring from Nicholas Smith. A Santa Fe SD 40 #5006 that wobbled more each day from Nicholas Smith. A Santa Fe SD40 #5018 that was missing air hoses and Lionel had no parts from Hobby Speed. A BNSF SD70 #9287 from MB Klein that was missing a rear bottom step with two others broken from the rear of the engine. My Western Allegheny from Nicholas Smith is now at Lionel for a burned out LED Cab Light. A 1931260 Challenger #3985 from Pat's Trains is at Lionel with no Generator Steam Smoke and is extremely hot to the touch. The engine is also to get the correct articulated sounds and Out-of-Sync Drivers. In all fairness, two of my H-10 and one K-4 Steam Engines have worked perfectly, and I'm hooked again.
I would say the odds are pretty good that future items will have issues. That is why I called Lionel to tell them about the too short Drive Shaft in my older 6-11333 ATSF Northern #3759. The shaft lasted two years until the end T-joints rounded and popped out of the U-joint cup, The shaft was 3/16 of a inch too short to center in the cups. There will be more of these arriving from China soon. I just wanted to warn Lionel. I am 100% supportive of Lionel. I have been giving feedback for over five years and they have been sending me back an Allegheny that does not run correctly and a Southern Pacific AC-12 that was missing the front Pilot when it returned. I bought another Pilot from Lionel parts and it was bent, ... so I bought the very last AC-12 Pilot Lionel had. It looks acceptable.
I still have many of my 100 HO engines and a few G-gauge Dash 9 and SD45 engines. The birds were pooping on the G-gauge. (Outside, of course). My vision in my left eye is almost gone, so detailing HO is very difficult. I detailed 180 Walthers passenger cars ten years ago. Some I have sold on Ebay. There are still forty HO buildings in the Music Room with Mom's three manual Allen Organ Theater Organ.
As to finding other hobbies, I don't drink, so alcoholism is out. I like landscaping, but then so do the deer that ate everything I planted for my mother. I can sit by the in-ground pool out back, but I need to cover it for winter. I can sit in a restaurant and shove food in my face. … And then there is Model Railroading.
Sincerely, John Rowlen
