I understand your frustration. When I first got back into the hobby I was initially taken back that the local dealer directed me to deal directly with MTH and would not solve my issue on the spot. I had gotten so use to dealing with Home Depot and Lowe’s.
There are no dealers with in a few hours of me so I am forced to purchase on line or when I visit my father in law in Daytona I try and visit a nice dealer in that area who is great about running on his track before I take it home.
In my opinion it is worth the extra effort this hobby sometimes requires. I have had good experiences with MTH over the years and have a preorder in place for my first Lionel engine. I hope you get everything taken care of.