Interestingly, I had a Super "O" layout with two mainlines on two 5' X 9' tables as a young boy, and used only one set of power wires to each mainline. I never even thought about voltage drop until I built a layout using Lionel 0-31. As Bob said, those copper center rails are great for passing the current.
Hi... Dennis... you mean that FAMOUS video of sp gs4 4436 with the incredible smoke output! I will repost here.
Yes, that's a great video! Thanks for posting. Gotta love those beautiful GS4 steamers on a Super "O" layout.
Super O makes everything look better... had to get back on topic.
LucasWSU posted:Hello all! This morning I picked up a carton of 100 Super O 9 inch straight sections at a train show. Has anyone else encountered a box like this? I've seen cartons for curved but never for straights.
That's an incredible find. Thanks for posting the pix. Those track look brand new, so they must have been carefully stored and preserved all of these years.
Trinity River Bottoms Boomer posted:Great find indeed!
Though the painting and drawing on the rear cover of the Lionel 1957 catalog is a bit primitive, and I stand to be corrected, but I believe the L shaped double 5X9 ft. layout was designed for Lionel's new Super-O track system introduced 61 years ago. I still consider this layout to be one of the best ever designed. Check out the scene on the rear cover showing father and son coming down the stairs in a typical modern mid-50s basement.
Note the Airex fishing gear and sign on the wall. Lionel owned the outfit at the time if memory serves me well.
Off subject but when I purchased a copy of the Denver, South Park & Pacific Pictorial not long ago from a San Francisco book dealer it arrived in the original Rocky Mountain Railroad Club carton and still has the shipping label with cancelled 4 cent stamp (The US Postal Service provided special rates for books containing educational material in 1959) addressed to the famous author David F. Myrick, who wrote books on the railroads of Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico! Indeed, a rare find in 2018!
Trinity... i was just on ebay. There is a guy selling the super o track plans for the back of the 1957 catalog layout which is for two 5x9 tables. I found it searching 'lionel supero' i cant copy the picture, but i think the plan is like 5bucks or someghing like that...
Super O Bob posted:LucasWSU posted:Hello all! This morning I picked up a carton of 100 Super O 9 inch straight sections at a train show. Has anyone else encountered a box like this? I've seen cartons for curved but never for straights.
Lucas-
Looks like we hijacked your post... You got all the Super O Geeks going again.
It looks like you have a table top and some Super O track on it... What are your plans with Super O? Just getting into it? Building a Super O layout?
No worries, just enjoying the banter. Yeah, I bought a bunch of Super O to build a 4x8 layout in my basement. Pictures to come
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balidas posted:
Thats the similar one, but its for tubular track. There is a sheet like this for super o and the specific super o sections needed and wiring diagram.
A guy is selling photocopies on ebay of the super o sheet for 5 bucks each.
Adriatic posted:
Wow that was super o! I didnt notice it back then!
Here it is in super o. The 1957 back of catalog layout... this would make a great postwar layout to showoff all accessories. Someday i would like to build one of these...
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LucasWSU posted... No worries, just enjoying the banter. Yeah, I bought a bunch of Super O to build a 4x8 layout in my basement. Pictures to come
Sounds great... go find one of these..
This is a small catalog of super o layouts from back in the day. I have one, its buried somewhere... but i recall it has lots of great layouts from small to big.
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Super O Bob posted:Here it is in super o. The 1957 back of catalog layout... this would make a great postwar layout to showoff all accessories. Someday i would like to build one of these...
That's the layout my father built me in the late 60's. Oh the memories.
Superwarp... hope you have pictures of that layout.
I inherited this D264 trackplan Super O layout my Dad built years earlier for my brother and his 1958 #665 set, a #2338, and my Dads #262 tinplate freight set.
I loved that and now wish i had pictures.
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Speaking of Super O...and we are!
This thread reminded me that Jagrick, our own Lionel dealer display restoration guru, was working on a Super O layout lately. I think it was the D-224? There's a thread on it somewhere.
They say there were two Addams Family layouts. But in the footage, I think I see three, or some shots off another layout. I see two tube rail set ups. One is only partially shown; there are two or three portions where the ground cover doesn't match the layout though. And the Super O layout which was used most often (Which is also the same Super O layout reused, as the one from the opening of Twighlight Zone episode "The Night of the Meek" with Art Carney as the "original" drunken "Bad Santa".
It was also my first track type. After a few years of abuse, and O & 0-27 additions, I was short a few pieces of a big double loop in any type and traded off the O and Super O to Gramps for a TON of 0-27. (I had about 400ft in straight track alone... Not even my KW could power it end to end very well.)
Other than jabbing my thumbs with the pins, and general alignment of them, it was also the easiest track to assemble. I couldn't get tube track to seat at the joints fully; I wasn't strong enough. But Super O I could assemble when I was pre-school, albet a bloody thumb on occasion. As you can see, it wasn't enough to sway my feelings for the track .
Adriatic posted:albet a bloody thumb on occasion. As you can see, it wasn't enough to sway my feelings for the track .
Oh yes... the famous bloody thumb / super o track pin impalement... i am very familliar with that!
I was more of a 'Munsters' guy, i think i only saw the addams family train episode one time... i will have to google it...
Super O track. I just remember being upset they crashed the trains...
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Super O Bob posted:LucasWSU posted... No worries, just enjoying the banter. Yeah, I bought a bunch of Super O to build a 4x8 layout in my basement. Pictures to comeSounds great... go find one of these..
This is a small catalog of super o layouts from back in the day. I have one, its buried somewhere... but i recall it has lots of great layouts from small to big.
Rudleys book is classic! SuperO Bob and SuperWarp here it is. It has some large Super O layouts in it. Bob the incentive you need to build your Big layout again. Credit to Mike Spanier I got this from him a few years ago.
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George... yea thats the booklet... i tried to find if it was posted somewhere... there are some great layouts in there... maybe lucas can get some ideas...
But he just them hard so hard I had to love it! 
....And it's episodes, plural. The trains were semi-regulars.
"Why else would a grown man play with trains" brings up the most iconic of the sketches.
Besides the Super O the regulars were a Super Chief, MS&L and the 2037 ...an Adriatic 
I've got a photo of a copy cat track, but it seems off to me. I've never seen a track plan for the old Addams layout, just the much later movie version... that had too many scene effects to grow on me much.
What colors of proto-SO do you have?
(I'm now imagining day glow yellow or orange 🎃 like the Halloween FT )
....And it's episodes, plural. The trains were semi-regulars.
"Why else would a grown man play with trains" brings up the most iconic of the sketches.
Besides the Super O the regulars were a Super Chief, MS&L and the 2037 ...an Adriatic
I've got a photo of a copy cat track, but it seems off to me. I've never seen a track plan for the old Addams layout, just the much later movie version... that had too many scene effects to grow on me much.
What colors of proto-SO do you have?
(I'm now imagining day glow yellow or orange 🎃 like the Halloween FT )
He ran them hard.
Thank predictive text for removing "ran"... Edit doesn't work today
Len Caparelli got all of Welz's stuff. He said he would bend some super-o for me but I haven't talked with him for a while. I want to do a wide radius plan using super-o track and Ross switches. Glad to see Bob is back.
Speaking of super-o. A few years ago I was walking around Rice Village when my son was a student at Rice. I went into a hobby store looking at trains .They did not have much but then I saw a familiar looking box buried under some other stuff. It was a pair of manuel switches and I doubt they had ever been opened. I bought them for some minimal price. I don't plan on using the switches but it was fun finding something that old that had been there for 50 years.
Super O Bob posted:Super O track. I just remember being upset they crashed the trains...
Reading this thread, I feel that the explosion and crash on the Adam's Family layout and resultant damage to the track is funny and perfectly fine if it is common O or O27 track, but it's very upsetting to me if it involves rare Super O track! LOL
By the way, I have never had, and never seen in person trains running on Lionel Super O, had much Lionel O27 track and switches since my early childhood and still have it in storage, and am delighted with and love Lionel O track and switches now on my layout for the past 20 years.
Spanier used to sell Rudley’s - maybe he still does.
Hilarious! Gomez Adams with his Super O video clip from “Adams Family TV show” 1964 season 1 episode 1.
Arnold D. Cribari posted:but it's very upsetting to me if it involves rare Super O track! LOL
Back then it was not rare; readily available in most train stores.
Thanks for the video.. Noticed that Alaska 6464 box car... it was close to the blast!
PRRMP54 posted:Arnold D. Cribari posted:but it's very upsetting to me if it involves rare Super O track! LOL
Back then it was not rare; readily available in most train stores.
Agreed, but is it readily available now? I have not seen much Super O at train shows in the NYC metro area, and I bet it is not cheap if you want a relatively large Super O layout with 20 or so switches.
Seacoast posted:Hilarious! Gomez Adams with his Super O video clip from “Adams Family TV show” 1964 season 1 episode 1.
Awesome. How cool was that?
Also, I don't recall ever noticing the Super "O" track.
Current setup. Subject to change. I picked up a single left hand switch, looking to maybe get a couple manual switches and incorporate them somehow
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Arnold D. Cribari posted:Agreed, but is it readily available now? I have not seen much Super O at train shows in the NYC metro area, and I bet it is not cheap if you want a relatively large Super O layout with 20 or so switches.
It's about half the price of FasTrack.
Super O Bob posted:Trinity River Bottoms Boomer posted:Great find indeed!
Though the painting and drawing on the rear cover of the Lionel 1957 catalog is a bit primitive, and I stand to be corrected, but I believe the L shaped double 5X9 ft. layout was designed for Lionel's new Super-O track system introduced 61 years ago. I still consider this layout to be one of the best ever designed. Check out the scene on the rear cover showing father and son coming down the stairs in a typical modern mid-50s basement.
Note the Airex fishing gear and sign on the wall. Lionel owned the outfit at the time if memory serves me well.
Off subject but when I purchased a copy of the Denver, South Park & Pacific Pictorial not long ago from a San Francisco book dealer it arrived in the original Rocky Mountain Railroad Club carton and still has the shipping label with cancelled 4 cent stamp (The US Postal Service provided special rates for books containing educational material in 1959) addressed to the famous author David F. Myrick, who wrote books on the railroads of Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico! Indeed, a rare find in 2018!
Trinity... i was just on ebay. There is a guy selling the super o track plans for the back of the 1957 catalog layout which is for two 5x9 tables. I found it searching 'lionel supero' i cant copy the picture, but i think the plan is like 5bucks or someghing like that...
Hi! I think you mat be talking about "Rudley's"Super O track plans and layouts.It's well worth the $5.00!!!
WftTrains posted:dorfj2 posted:PS
There is a Yahoo group loaded with Super O junkies like me
- this stuff is on there all the time
That Super O Yahoo Group moved to Groupsio.
"Super O" Bill
Hi!!! How do you log on now to the Super O group then??What is the new www. address? I was not aware of this,I heardtalk about moving it,but did not know it moved.Alot of GREAT,FUN and people so full of knowledge about Lionel and Super O!!!Please put me back in touch with the group,ran by Mike Spainer!!!! thank you,I hope you see this.
I've bent 0-27 down to 18+" o.d. and 20+" o.d. with a hand made "washer-anvile/wheel" bender Could you say it is harder or easier for S-O?
I guess it costs an extra curve to go wider, and it would throw off degrees° and common S-O curve geometry without one being added.
I think I might have enough for one loop left since I pulled my switches to run pre-war and a formerly 2 rail, Rivarossi.
The Rivarossi 4-6-0 ICRR 382 "Casey Jones" kit model's flange code isn't scale, but it's not a "toy flange" either. It loves the Super O (after some pilot truck/frame mods to get the truck to turn tighter)
Lightening the scavenged GG-1 pickup arm's springs may have helped, but I don't think the guides and gaps were tight enough for "great" use.... and the tinplate is more important than a siding for me. (Fat wheels hit the S-O guide rails, and a drop gap actually jams up some small dia. rollers causing a small hop.)
I've never looked, or had issues, but some pieces have pre-isolated rails. I think those lack metal tie supports, but I'm not sure. Can someone confirm the way to tell them apart? A photo?
kennyb posted:WftTrains posted:dorfj2 posted:PS
There is a Yahoo group loaded with Super O junkies like me
That Super O Yahoo Group moved to Groupsio.
"Super O" Bill
Hi!!! How do you log on now to the Super O group then??What is the new www. address? I was not aware of this,I heardtalk about moving it,but did not know it moved.Alot of GREAT,FUN and people so full of knowledge about Lionel and Super O!!!Please put me back in touch with the group,ran by Mike Spainer!!!! thank you,I hope you see this.
Go to groups.io on the Internet and set up an account super O group is there if you do a search good luck.
Adriatic posted:Fat wheels hit the S-O guide rails, and a drop gap actually jams up some small dia. rollers causing a small hop.)
I've never looked, or had issues, but some pieces have pre-isolated rails. I think those lack metal tie supports, but I'm not sure. Can someone confirm the way to tell them apart? A photo?
The only issue i have seen is some older lionel geeps with the HUGE flanges can touch the rail clips. This is easy to fix by folding them lower with a tap or two. Most recent equipment has much more realistic flanges. I think i only encountered this with first tmcc run of GP30s.
The insulated super o tracks have split (two piece) rail clips to isolate the outer rails. Simply turn over the track and look for any pieces that have two separate clips for each tie mounting pad. I will put up a pic...
Here is a comparison of normal and INSULATED super o... the normal super o has one continuous rail clip connecting both outside rails under the attachment pad. The factory insulated track has two separate clips. To tell if the track is insulated simply look at the underside and see if the clips are separated or one piece.
Note: Any piece of super o can be converted to insulated by cutting this rail clip into two pieces and using insulated track pins.
I am showing the later un blackened rail clips here, you will find alot of super o where these metal clips are normally blackened. These clips have prongs that fit thru the tie beds and are folded over to secure the railhead to the tie beds.
In second pic you can see these prongs are bent to grab the rail flange and capture the rail to the tie bed. When making wide radius super o, you simply take the track apart bend these prongs up so you can slide the railstock out and bend it. YOU NEVER REMOVE THE CENTER RAIL FROM THE TIE BED! it freely bends and you will not be able to ever secure it back because it is staked inplace in the manufactuing process and the ties will be damaged if you remove the center rail! It is already electrically isolated by the tie bed.
I have extra envelopes of insulated track pins, but i think these were made also in reproduction. The next step in conversion is take the railstock in a vice and pull the metal track pins out and replace them with plastic insulated track pins. U then reassempble the track and bend the prongs over the rail flanges and now you have an insulated piece of super o track.
Or you can just buy and use the insulated track originally from lionel...
Good luck...
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LucasWSU posted:Current setup. Subject to change. I picked up a single left hand switch, looking to maybe get a couple manual switches and incorporate them somehow
Lucas...
I love the start... great start... with the right trains! Go check out the ridleys track plan book that is posted as an attachment in this thread. You might find some ideas.
I like what you have.
