Lionel / Milwaukee Road Passenger set not aging well!

I wonder if the foam off-gassed, clouding the windows? JohnA

That's what I'm trying to figure out. The box has dark grey pinch foam type and this real soft white foam almost like the product most of these modern car come wrapped in.

These are the only Lionel passenger cars that I currently own. The rest of my passenger fleet are K - Line and MTH.

They have been in these transport boxes too, but don't have what look like casted windowslike the ones that are in question.

I've seen discoloration like this when you use CA glue on clears vinyl. That wasn't the case here, just storage.

Your thoughts.

I've had this set on display in a glass case when not being run for several years.  I'm not seeing the issues your having with my set.  I think your storage materials are likely the culprit.

Charlie

Thanks for diving into this issue.

After reading the comments from other operators, I'm leaning toward the packing materials too. As you can see in one photo, it's random .

Do you think there is a way to clean them up?  I wish they were one single strip of clear material like some of the other models, but these are individual pieces. Those I can handle with ease.

Rmrod

In order to determine if restoring them is possible, you'll need to determine exactly what material the windows are made from...

That's a shame. My set is wrapped in blank newsprint - packing paper from U-Haul.

Maye it's time to look at how my cars are surviving.

I haven’t looked closely at mine, they are not clouded, but if the windows are individual pieces you could remove them, make a mold for the each of the different shapes and sizes and then cast them with clear resin. Its not a difficult process but will be tedious to replace them all. Smooth-On has mold materials and resins specific for something like this.

Pete

I also think the foam may be the culprit. I haven't run my Hiawatha set for quite some time and just checked them. The windows are fine. I have them stored in the original boxes.

I wish to thank those who took to time to weigh in on my Lionel Milwaukee Road cloudy windows. I''m not sure if I'll try a repair, however, when the set goes back into storage, the white foam pieces ill not be in the storage box.  Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.