That is not a fingerprint on the small window. The glass has a gloss in the center of it that does not wipe off. The image you are seeing is a distortion in the window manufacturing.
Legacy Station has told me to take parts of the first "Katy Flyer" with the spots on it. I will remove two Grab irons for the second body shell and probably replace this small window.
I hope that everybody else has no difficulties, but I have encountered these issues for the number of times reported. Lionel knows there are issues, and that is why they say to "send the cars back to the dealer for a refund if there are problems". They are not bringing them into Lionel Service for warranty work. They have no parts. There are no Call Tags for these cars. Then what do we do if we have the FEF3. the GS4, six VL Big Boys, two Vision Line GG1s, two Pennsylvania M1a, a Turbine, a K4 and E8s waiting for these cars? We buy another set --- and the process may or may not bring us what we expect. I wish Lionel well, and I repair items when I am able.
Most of us who have been running trains for 50 plus years are able to make minor repairs. I am puzzled by the recent trend by a couple of manufacturers of not getting repair/replacement parts. I know they will pull parts off of cars that are returned from dealers. If so, they must be expecting returns in order to do so.
"I got a refund on my dead puppy" is not a good sales strategy. Lionel is better than this. It has been the standard of excellence that we collectors count on to maintain the value of our investment in toy trains. I will do whatever I can to see Lionel's success, and as testament of that have purchased over 200K in Lionel and Atlas O in the past two and a half years.
I think I just heard a pop-off valve release. No more steam. Have a good weekend.
Sincerely, John Rowlen
PS: "And this too shall pass." Hopefully on the opposite track.
