Unbelievable.....if Lionel were to delay shipping new products to vendors in order to take the time to disassemble new cars or engines to create a parts inventory then guys get on the forum and complain about another late product. If Lionel ships the product ASAP before creating a parts inventory people complain about terrible customer service.
Getting a defective anything is a bummer, I suppose venting on this forum is a form of catharsis for some.