John,
Model railroading is not a perfect hobby, never was never will be. I have found it is a self help hobby where sometimes you have to go outside the box to get a product fixed the way you want it. By no means am I a handy repair guy who can fix anything. But I have always found someone who can. I have seen posts recommending that you call Alex M about your engine problems. Did you? Alex fixes all of my Lionel engines. He has altered some of my engine when I was not completely satisfied with them. You say you spoke to your dealer about your Challenger and he would refund you purchase but have you called Lionel directly? I had Mike Regan call me twice when he was at Lionel, I am sure Dean would call you about your issues. Mike also fixes trains now you can call him too.
It would be nice if everything was perfect out of the box but they will never be wether it's Lionel, MTH, Atlas etc. There is always a issue you need to deal with. Constant complaining on every thread is also not helping your cause. Out of the 17 replies on this thread 5 are yours...that's 30%.
Good luck with all your engines but you may find model railroading may not be the best hobby for you especially if you are looking for perfection.
JohnB
