Super O Track

Working on my layout last night and tonight --- gotta get some pictures together

The floor of my bedroom in the northeast in the Bronx winter of 71-72 or 72-73.

The Super O track starts coming out after the 2:00 minute mark...it covers 58-63.

Enjoy.......I'm a Atlas O person now.....but would love to have had Super O again!

Peter

Not all Super O, I wanted something of each type.

I had Super O and loved it. Mom's concerns over punctured thumbs eventually won out and 027 replaced it, but I always wanted more. It was the best track imo.

I had some, hidden away by mom for decades,, and found a gift sets worth unused in the attic to get that outer loop. 

K-line's track was close in a way. Ties were like black Super O, nice and quiet. It had a normal center rail that didn't saw rollers. (I wore out rollers and center rails

These pictures of my layout were taken about two years ago. It is roughly 11' X 11' and 100% Super O. Some of the structures and accessories have changed but the track plan is the same. 

I wish someone would bring this track back.

Christmas oval is all so far.

NCT posted:

I wish someone would bring this track back.

Actually there is plenty of good, used Super O track still available and at decent prices if you shop around a little. I would recommend that you avoid the really rusty stuff. A bit of surface rust is okay and will clean up nicely with track cleaning erasers and even scotchbrite. In case you're not familiar you may want to check out the Super O Yahoo group here

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/g...el_SuperO_Track/info

Lots of good information and some very knowledgeable folks! 

So, what exactly is Super O??  Was it the precursor to Atlas O (21st century track)?  I've never heard of it.  Looks like Atlas O.

Super O is a Lionel product from the 1950s.   Here is an article posted by another member here.

http://www.tcaetrain.org/artic...ng/supero/index.html

Hmm.  It looks really nice.  Looks way better than their Fastrack.

I would trade all my Atlas O in, if it came back, with wider radii curves and switches.

Peter

I would switch to 100% Super 0 track if it was ever to return.  I have a bunch of Super 0 stored but the lack of wide radius switches prevents me from using it.(cant run scale steam engines on it)  To this day IMO I think it is the best looking 3 rail track.  I currently have fastrack on the layout but would much rather have Super 0.

Putnam Division posted:

I would trade all my Atlas O in, if it came back, with wider radii curves and switches.

...

That's exactly what I did... But instead of Super-O, I went with MTH Scaletrax.  It's the closest thing to Super-O out there right now (aside from used Super-O itself).  And as long as you're building a permanent layout, it's a fine alternative.  #4 and #6 switches are back in stock.  And there's flextrack for very broad radii curves beyond the sectional O-72 and O-80 curve pieces in the line-up.  The only caveat is it's not a great choice for temporary carpet railroads.

David

dandeo50 posted:

I would switch to 100% Super 0 track if it was ever to return.  I have a bunch of Super 0 stored but the lack of wide radius switches prevents me from using it.(cant run scale steam engines on it)  To this day IMO I think it is the best looking 3 rail track.  I currently have fastrack on the layout but would much rather have Super 0.

Having a nice postwar-style Super O layout has saved me a ton of money. It steers me to focus on postwar nostalgia products, and modestly sized/priced modern Legacy equipment. The 36 inch curves, and switch limitations preclude running all those costly and awkward 4-8-8-8-8-4 behemoths that forum members so enjoy preening themselves on acquiring. 

The curves are not the problem- they can be altered into any radius with work. The switches are the problem. You can use Ross or I have seen switches that were constructed- see Super O Bob's former layout for example. Nothing looks better than Super O but I am probably going with Ross/ Gargraves for ease of construction.I have a ton of Super O track, switches etc so who knows. Mr Spanier is the expert on Super O.

GregR posted:

 

Having a nice postwar-style Super O layout has saved me a ton of money. It steers me to focus on postwar nostalgia products...

I hear you. When I was planning my Lionel Dealer Display-style layout I was drawn to several of the Super O versions. I ended up going in another direction (building the D-105 5x9 with regular tin track) but who knows? I've got more layouts to build and would love to do one of the Super O versions one day.

Hard to believe, but this is all custom bent Super O...:

EDIT: As Dan points out below, this is NOT Super O, see the video(s) I meant to link in my post below.

Like I have said before, only one track piece needs to be made to test the market for acceptance - a 36" long flexible straight. A slide-on 3-tie section at the ends, to retain the locking function after curving and cutting, could be added if desired. The center conductor clip could be installed from the bottom to eliminate the necessary top notches of the original design.

Dave

Dtrainmaster posted:

Like I have said before, only one track piece needs to be made to test the market for acceptance - a 36" long flexible straight. A slide-on 3-tie section at the ends, to retain the locking function after curving and cutting, could be added if desired. The center conductor clip could be installed from the bottom to eliminate the necessary top notches of the original design.

Dave

Love your idea, except for the clips...These center connectors seem to defy gravity and work their way loose upwards all the time. I can't imagine how quick they would come out if they were upside down

I can't believe as all the manufacturers were coming out with the modern track systems over the past 20 years, not one considered Super O track. I think they missed the boat. I have a feeling it would have sold quite well with larger radius curves and switches. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

ADCX Rob posted:

Hard to believe, but this is all custom bent Super O...:

I don't see the Super O.  It looks like Gargraves to me.  

GregR posted:

Dtrainmaster posted:

Like I have said before, only one track piece needs to be made to test the market for acceptance - a 36" long flexible straight. A slide-on 3-tie section at the ends, to retain the locking function after curving and cutting, could be added if desired. The center conductor clip could be installed from the bottom to eliminate the necessary top notches of the original design.

Dave

Love your idea, except for the clips...These center connectors seem to defy gravity and work their way loose upwards all the time. I can't imagine how quick they would come out if they were upside down

It's been awhile since I've viewed Super O close up.  From what I gather from conversations here, the clip seems to be somewhat of a nuisance issue.  I wonder why the clip wasn't made a permanent part of the center rail on one end.  Of course that may cause issues with trying to arrange the track on some configurations.  

What if when the clip was installed, a pinch was put in the clip with a pair of pliers that would basically crimp the clip in place ?

   I've made wraps and they don't seem to stay well either, lol. Crude, & too long they slide down the rail till they butt up agaist the tie, but still hold a contact. I imagine with a closer wrapping bend you could make a clip that would grab the underside and hold it in the notch area better.

  Your ears become tuned for the clack becoming louder as they clips lift. Some never do. It depends on luck, roller strikes, and the amount of flexing the track does causing clip walking. They solder nice. My first set had the clips soldered on some pieces; likely to help my Mom recall how to set it up with isolated sections (some pieces have isolated rails too) .

  The clips seemed.to take a slice out of slide shoes pretty quickly. I know I ran two locos till the rail was jamming up in the clip sawed in slot of the shoes.

Still "the best".

I haven't seen Atlas to compare, but if its a close copy; it explains the popularity.

About 15 years ago, I saw this ad some where online.  The company was Ashpan, but I don't think the track was ever made.

GregR posted:

... Having a nice postwar-style Super O layout has saved me a ton of money. It steers me to focus on postwar nostalgia products, and modestly sized/priced modern Legacy equipment. The 36 inch curves, and switch limitations preclude running all those costly and awkward 4-8-8-8-8-4 behemoths that forum members so enjoy preening themselves on acquiring. 

Actually, i think having any kind of layout period would help folks save money, since it acts as a very visible governor of sorts with respect to rosters growing out of control.  After all, we can only have so many trains on the layout and on display shelves.  We're our own worst enemy when we stash stuff away in storage boxes planning to build that grand layout some day.  I know, 'cause I've been down that road.  

Unless we're planning an enormous train room with tons of wallspace to display trains, most of us will never have a layout large enough to run all the trains we've purchased in the last 3 or 4 decades.    Heck, some may not even be able to run/display all that they buy in one year!!!  

David

Putnam Division posted:

The floor of my bedroom in the northeast in the Bronx winter of 71-72 or 72-73.

 

The Super O track starts coming out after the 2:00 minute mark...it covers 58-63.

Enjoy.......I'm a Atlas O person now.....but would love to have had Super O again!

Peter

 

Peter,

you left the set box on the radiator!

Who used to crank on those amps?

Buzz

Dan Padova posted:

I don't see the Super O.  It looks like Gargraves to me.  

I told you it was hard to believe! Dang it, I linked the wrong video... let's try this:

GregR posted:

Dtrainmaster posted:

Like I have said before, only one track piece needs to be made to test the market for acceptance - a 36" long flexible straight. A slide-on 3-tie section at the ends, to retain the locking function after curving and cutting, could be added if desired. The center conductor clip could be installed from the bottom to eliminate the necessary top notches of the original design.

Dave

Love your idea, except for the clips...These center connectors seem to defy gravity and work their way loose upwards all the time. I can't imagine how quick they would come out if they were upside down

I haven't experienced any problems with buss bars loosening up on my layout. However, all of the track is mounted directly to the plywood table top. I tried using Woodland Scenics black foam roadbed at first but felt there was too much up & down track movement, especially at the joints. You should also be careful to use only the original type buss bars with the rounded bend. They seem to grip the center rail more tightly than the repro buss bars that have a squared off bend.

NJCJOE posted:

I can't believe as all the manufacturers were coming out with the modern track systems over the past 20 years, not one considered Super O track. I think they missed the boat. I have a feeling it would have sold quite well with larger radius curves and switches. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Actually, Lionel did consider it:

https://ogrforum.com/t...ation-of-super-o-yes

Ahh Yes, Super O, the best darn looking toy train track ever produced.

We, of the Post War era  know about the short comings of the center copper rail and it's joiner clips but, those issue could be dealt with and we would have a track system that would blow the competition away.

Of course there would have to be done something about those ridicules sized switch motors, but again technology has corrected that flaw years ago.  

 imagine what you could do with modern switches that work. Not so prone to failure and different radius tracks, it could be an awesome track system to have today. 

ADCX Rob posted:

Dan Padova posted:

I don't see the Super O.  It looks like Gargraves to me.  

I told you it was hard to believe! Dang it, I linked the wrong video... let's try this:

Thanks Rob.  That is impressive.