# What do you think of silhouttes in passenger car windows?



## gg1hokk (Apr 18, 2016)

What is your opinion about passenger cars with silhouette people in the windows? I was offered 8 cars for $200 and could not resist. $17 in repairs and all lights work! Plus - they are in Southern Pacific Daylight. Can there be a prettier paint scheme? I think not!


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Some like them. Personally I think they are
toy like. I would remove them and install
clear windows.

Don


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## alaska railroad (Oct 20, 2015)

It's a must for me. It's the ONLY way I will buy passenger cars. It adds to the realization to the cars. I have some with lighted lamps near the windows, and there awesome to look at. I am going to add people to them some day too. :thumbsup:


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## RonthePirate (Sep 9, 2015)

I guess I'm middle of the road on that. Either way is OK.

Clear windows with complete interiors is really first class!
But some of us (Like me) lack the bucks and skills to do such an undertaking.

Silhouettes give a great appearance. I have them on my Lionel IC passenger cars.
I guess my only complaint is, they do repeat themselves,and that is very visible.

EDit: and gg1hokk, I would have grabbed them up so fast the paint would have flown off!


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## DennyM (Jan 3, 2016)

I can live with it, but I prefer passenger cars with seats so you can add figures.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

RonthePirate said:


> I guess I'm middle of the road on that. Either way is OK.
> 
> Clear windows with complete interiors is really first class!
> But some of us (Like me) lack the bucks and skills to do such an undertaking.
> ...


Im with Ron, waiter way is fine its your railroad buy and do as you wish I like my older post war silhouettes, I was thrilled when I got them. Likewise I got few new passenger cars with detailed interiors both are great!


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

Sorta like painting clouds in your background scenery. They are always in the same position.


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## sirfoldalot (Oct 30, 2015)

D&J Railroad said:


> Sorta like painting clouds in your background scenery. They are always in the same position.


Now that's very funny!


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

Silhouettes? Rather naff.


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## Chip (Feb 11, 2016)

Its cheap and it works, go for it.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I'm in the full interior camp. Other than stuff like the Polar Express set I run at Christmas and the Hogwarts Express set, all my passenger cars have full interiors. I like to add figures and good lighting, it really enhances the look IMO.


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## Joe Hohmann (Nov 5, 2015)

All my passenger cars are MTH Railking, and all are filled with MTH figures (over 200) that I painted myself.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I have a bunch of the MTH figures, but painting all of those looks real time consuming, so they're still all one color.  I've used a lot of the seated Chinese figures, but they're not as common nowadays on eBay for some reason.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

I think silhouette people are fine if you are going for a classic toy train look. But all my passenger cars have seats and passenger figures. I have used use MTH passengers and RMT BEEPeople. The MTH figures are a PITA to paint (especially if you use solvent based paint). Some colors never dry on the MTH figures. The BEEPeople require leg amputation but look fine thru the windows. I wonder if someone will pick up the rights to BEEPeople now that RMT is closing.


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

RonthePirate said:


> I guess my only complaint is, they do repeat themselves,and that is very visible.


Why not find suitable images online, scale them and adjust the color to full black, then print and cut out? Yeah it could be tedious, but every person could be unique (or at least every person in each car).


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## Guest (May 5, 2016)

I prefer a full interior with figures but silhouettes are OK. I have a set of Williams NYC cars with silhouettes and they are fine. If I really get ambitious I'll take the silhouettes out and scratch build interiors, but maybe I'll never get that ambitious. You got a great deal on the cars.


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## DennyM (Jan 3, 2016)

I have RailKing PRR Madison passenger cars. I like the look of them, but I could only get inside the observation car to put figures in it. The other cars were too stubborn to open. I also have K-line Golden State that has silhouette people, but you can put clear plastic on the windows and put figure in them as well. I'm happy with either way.


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## ogaugenut (Dec 27, 2012)

I don't have pictures, but Marx once had cars with celluloid strips that had photographic transparency of car interiors. Better than simple silhouette people, but not as good as full detail interior. Pretty rare now.

Bill


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I think Weaver had colored silhouettes in some cars, a step up from the B/W ones.


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## Mark Boyce (Jul 22, 2015)

I prefer full interiors. I have both types, and want to upgrade the silhouettes. Will I ever get to it? Probably not. ;-)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## RonthePirate (Sep 9, 2015)

Shdwdrgn said:


> Why not find suitable images online, scale them and adjust the color to full black, then print and cut out? Yeah it could be tedious, but every person could be unique (or at least every person in each car).


I like that. That's a great idea. And it wouldn't be hard to do, just tedious as you said.


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## time warp (Apr 28, 2016)

I like the silhouettes, you can't be dragging around an empty train! Like D&J said, they always look the same but same goes for figures. Adds interest as the train is wizzin by. I'm now working on adding figures to my loco cabs and cabooses. Takes ( little) people to run them, right? Heck, add your own image to the cab and now your mini me is at the throttle! I'm sure it's been done, but I'd like to see N or Z coaches loaded with riders.


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