Best Post War Lionel Super O Train Sets

Big John Henry posted:

After reading the recent publication Lionel Trains of the 1950s, going through my copy of Lionel Train Sets 1949 - 1966 and attempting to bring back memories of my younger years I reached the conclusion that Lionel never produced any train sets better than the Super O sets of 1957, There are a few exceptions of course. Those being the Madison Car Sets of 1946 with the 671, 1947 with the 2332, 1948 with the 726, 1949 with the 726 and 2332. I can not omit the Queen of sets the1950 773 Madison Car Set.

I have seen a lot of dumb stuff in this life but Lionel of 1957 is why I am still with Lionel after  and jump at the chance by a redesigned Super O track today. 61 years after seeing that first Super O display and using it from 1974 to 1986 I am still a fan of Super O . To me a collection of the 1957 Super O Sets would be a dream come true.

I can only assume that you are also the owner of a well worn 1957 catalog.  Half the appeal was the illustrations.  

Lou N

Wore out the first one and lost the original1958.

I'm sorry to remind you Steve but I think you gave that copy to me because my LV 44 Tonner was in that catalog.

I have it stored and put away because of all the rework I have been doing on my layout.

I think it was a 1957.

In any case it is always there for you.

As for the Super O sets, your right they are some of the best Lionel ever produced. I think it was a desire to produce a product that complimented their Track system.

Fast Track is cool but Super O was the way for the Lion to go!

Some personal prejudice here since it was my first train set, but I think the 2205WS set from 1953 was one of the best sets made before the dawn of Super-O and the deluxe 1957 sets. Granted it was a pricey set but so were the Santa Fe "Warbonnet" F3 passenger sets and they have always been popular. It seems to be overlooked in Lionel history, and I've never had anybody on this forum or elsewhere say they had the set as a kid. 

There were two sets in the 1966 catalog too. One was led by a scale Hudson and one was led by a set of ATSF F3's. I have to nominate either one of them for best super O set, simply because I spent hours staring at them and wishing for them. I was about 10 years old at the time.

My favorite Lionel set of all time was 1958's Super O Set #2525WS, Norfolk and Western Work Train headed up by the N&W Class J Northern and which included both the Culvert Loader and Unloading Stations along with four additional work related freight cars.  I drooled all over the 1958 catalog fantasizing how that magnificent set would look on my 4x8 layout.  And it always remained a fantasy because it was way way out of our price range.  I still have that 1958 catalog or whats left of it.  I'll keep it until I go to the big Roundhouse in the sky.

OKHIKER posted:

My favorite Lionel set of all time was 1958's Super O Set #2525WS, Norfolk and Western Work Train headed up by the N&W Class J Northern and which included both the Culvert Loader and Unloading Stations along with four additional work related freight cars.  I drooled all over the 1958 catalog fantasizing how that magnificent set would look on my 4x8 layout.  And it always remained a fantasy because it was way way out of our price range.  I still have that 1958 catalog or whats left of it.  I'll keep it until I go to the big Roundhouse in the sky.

I would agree and was very fortunate to have acquired that set just last spring along with some other great items from a man living here who grew up in Chicago and still had all his childhood trains intact. He must have been 'a disobedient child too and spent time in the corner not playing with his trains very much' as most of the items were in excellent plus to Like New condition!  This set especially included the set box and all item boxes but no track at all. I was in the process of buying my home and had no budget for trains but made him a cash offer for the lot and brought them home. Reluctantly, I sold most of his pieces here on the Forum and the fella who bought the set wrote back and said it was in much better condition that he expected and thanked me for letting him have it.  I hated to sell it as I've not encountered any 746s in similar condition, but the time was not right for me to be buying. As I'm getting settled in and starting to put trains up on the wall, I wish I had that set to display...  :-(

Still have a LN No52 Fire car w/paperwork & box that I should sell as it doesn't fit with my scale items.

c.sam posted:

OKHIKER posted:

My favorite Lionel set of all time was 1958's Super O Set #2525WS, Norfolk and Western Work Train headed up by the N&W Class J Northern and which included both the Culvert Loader and Unloading Stations along with four additional work related freight cars.  I drooled all over the 1958 catalog fantasizing how that magnificent set would look on my 4x8 layout.  And it always remained a fantasy because it was way way out of our price range.  I still have that 1958 catalog or whats left of it.  I'll keep it until I go to the big Roundhouse in the sky.

I would agree and was very fortunate to have acquired that set just last spring along with some other great items from a man living here who grew up in Chicago and still had all his childhood trains intact. He must have been 'a disobedient child too and spent time in the corner not playing with his trains very much' as most of the items were in excellent plus to Like New condition!  This set especially included the set box and all item boxes but no track at all. I was in the process of buying my home and had no budget for trains but made him a cash offer for the lot and brought them home. Reluctantly, I sold most of his pieces here on the Forum and the fella who bought the set wrote back and said it was in much better condition that he expected and thanked me for letting him have it.  I hated to sell it as I've not encountered any 746s in similar condition, but the time was not right for me to be buying. As I'm getting settled in and starting to put trains up on the wall, I wish I had that set to display...  :-(

Still have a LN No52 Fire car w/paperwork & box that I should sell as it doesn't fit with my scale items.

Ouch!  Given my affinity for this set that would gnaw at me something terrible.😢😢😢😢😢

The Canadian Pacific set from 1957 was my dream set.  I really begged Santa for one, but I had received a nice set the previous Christmas so no go on that.  I still love Super O and I think it was the best sectional track ever produced to date.

Fast forward to 2:50 and you will see 1958 set 2507 taking one of its 1st spins on the living room carpet....1 was 5 yrs old....

Peter