New Lionel SD40 CNJ Diesel

I have a Lionel C-420 that had wires passing behind the front motor, causing the front pilot to point down and occasionally hit the center rail, tripping the breaker.  Moving these wires away from the motor restored the front truck's full range of motion, and it gained several millimeters of distance away from the center rail.  

Tom

I believe there has been threads in the past on Lionels  kinematic pilots sagging or hanging too low. I was unable to find them on a search . Maybe someone will chime in.

Try kinematic catastrophe

Here's the link to the Lionel Kinematic Katastrophe thread.

To the O.P. (Bob D.)...maybe this older thread will help you determine if this is the issue you're having.  Any chance you could post a couple photos of your new locomotive to show us what you described above?

Thanks everyone, especially you Tom and Joe for providing that link, It describes precisely the problems I am having, right down to the "snag." I would have included photos showing the engine, but I was so disgusted with it last night that I re-packed it. It is ready to be returned to sender. At least now I can better describe the problem. I second the recommendation that Lionel management had better get real and acknowledge their company, and its products built in China, have problems, which if left uncorrected much longer will only have negative repercussions on their bottom line. I cringe when I imagine what the future for this hobby will be if MTH stops production and Lionel thinks it can just coast along with a virtual monopoly. Thanks again guys.

@CNJ #1601 posted:

Here's the link to the Lionel Kinematic Katastrophe thread.

To the O.P. (Bob D.)...maybe this older thread will help you determine if this is the issue you're having.  Any chance you could post a couple photos of your new locomotive to show us what you described above?

A Kinematic Katastrophe indeed! Thanks for the thread.