I want to thank everyone for their input. I truly appreciate it. I know more on the matter than I did before. I try to research a product online before buying, especially model trains that can be quite pricey. Nothing came up that these lashups were junk before I bought it.
I just replaced the metal gears for the last time and now am selling it before it happens again. I ran the two engines separate on parallel tracks. One unit will start moving at lower voltage than the other...and likewise pull more. My tech was rubbing his head. And after the 3rd time he had to replace the gears, I would be too! If Lionel cannot synchronize their motors to prevent stripping of gears, then they should not make this sort of product. That's probably why lashups are sold much anymore...it is so hard to keep the units synchronized.'Well, lesson learned.
Maybe one day I will go with TMCC Command, but I like the old school, reliable stuff. The kind that will pull a long consist on low voltage and not even break a sweat. Besides, the replacement electronics are a fortune...and that is if you can even find them anymore! I think manufacturers should make more high quality, powerful and reliable old school locomotives with a realistic whistle or horn and a bell. Even leave off the railsounds. Right now I have friends who cannot even get parts for Mikes Train House rolling stock. The company is not making them. I think the industry needs a shake up and a wake up. They need to start making the stuff in the US again, make the items reliable, easy to use and easy to maintain and offer the support and parts their customers need. There's a reason the old locomotives and transformers work nearly 100 years later!!! That's just me though. I'm disappointed I have to unload my lashup, but I don't want to deal with the constant issues and repair costs. It is ashamed too as I would have bought another lashup and had them custom painted too. Again, thanks to all for their input.
