What is a "Service Station Set"?

They are train sets that were produced by Lionel many years ago for sale through the hobby stores that were authorized Lionel Service Stations (repaired Lionel trains).

1 of these days, I'll get the 2000 Service Set.

I have a number of Lionel SS Sets. Some I bought as a complete set and a few I've put together myself by purchasing individual cars.

 

This (Coastal Freight Special) is one of my favorites:

 

I always thought the Service Station Sets produced were some of the nicer sets of their time. The Delaware and Hudson set pictured above was one of my favorites.

x3 on the Coastal Freight Special set! Great color scheme and it always bumps something out of the way for a few days at Christmas!!

My favorite was the NYC mixed freight.

There also used to be something called a "Factory Selection" set. I got one once years ago that had a C&O starter set 4-4-2, a Savanna Docks boxcar, a St Louis coiled steel Gondola, and a lit Lionel SP caboose. I think there was a fair amount of randomness to these based on overstock.

Also "service station sets." Don't come with track or transformer,just the cars. 

One set actually came with "O" track.  Anyone like to venture a guess?

I knew once I posted, someone would come up with one.

I recently put together a 1978 SSS one car at a a time. This is the set led by the M&ST L GP9 with a variety of freight cars and a bay window caboose. Surprisingly,  I was able to get the loco and cars at really decent prices and the cumulative price was less than what I see these sets going for on the bay.

 

Best of all it was fun putting the set together a car at a time.

Of course I had the F-3 Milwaukee set. It was a big deal to break up sets and sell the cars. At the time you could make some good money doing that. I bought four of the Milwaukee sets and only kept one. Anyone have a list of all the sets? Every year we waited to see what MPC would come out with. Don

OK, here's the list. 
> 1971: Illinois Central #1187
> 8030 IC GP-9 (w/ wire handrails), plus 9200, 9211, 9214, 9215, 9230,
> and 9160.
>
> 1972: New York Central #1250
> 8206 4-6-4, plus 9111, 9151, 9707, 9709, 9710, 9162 (8206 included
> MSOS and Whistle).
>
> 1973: Canadian Pacific #1350
> 8365/66 CP F-3 AA, plus, 9113, 9723, 9724, 9725, 9165.
>
> 1974: Rio Grande #1450
> 8464/65 Rio Grande F-3 AA, plus, 9177, 9144, 9739, 9863, 9166.
>
> 1975: Milwaukee Road #1579
> 8555/57 MR F-3 AA, plus, 9754, 9132, 9119, 9758, 9169.
>
> 1976: Northern Pacific #1672
> 8666 Northern Pacific GP-9, plus, 9869, 9267, 9775, 9776, 9177.
>
> 1977: Baltimore & Ohio #1766
> 8766 B & O RDC, plus, 8767, and 8768
>
> 1978: Minneapolis and St. Louis #1868
> 8866 M & StL GP-9, plus, 9408, 9138, 9726, 9213, 9271
>
>
> ***********************************************************************
> *
> ******
>
> 1986: Santa Fe Work Train #1632
> 8635 SF 0-4-0, plus, 6593, 6272, 5745, 5760, 6496
>
> 1987: Southern Freight Runner #11704
> 18802 Southern GP-9, plus, 16102, 16402, 16707, 16701, and 16504
>
> 1988: Dry Gulch Line #11706
> 8702, Va. and Truckee General, plus, 16010, 16011, and 16012
>
> 1989: Desert King #11758
> 18809 Rio Grande 2-6-4, plus, 16105, 16206, 16616, and 16509
>
> 1990: Great Lakes Express #11712
> 18611 Lionel Lines 2-6-4, plus, 16027, 16028, 16029, 16030
>
> 1991: Coastal Freight
> 18814 D & H RS-3, plus, 16109, 16335, 19324, 16407, 16525
>
> 1992: Feather River
> 18820, WP GP-9, plus, 16234, 16121, 19414, 16359, 16653, 16539
>
> 1993: Soo Line
> 18825 Soo GP-38, plus, 19416, 19536, 17006, 19604, 19720
>
>
Don

ADCX Rob,

I'll take guess. The first set #1187 Illinois Central freight set.

I'm with Jimmy

Yes, the IC set had 8 curve and 12 straight.  But I forgot about the 1972 8206 set also with 8 curve and 12 straight.  One of the straights in the IC set was a UCS, however.

1995 - 11749 Western Maryland Set - Wild Mary GP20 and 6 hoppers.

 

This one I still have! Bought from Roland LaVoie at York. Nice guy - he is missed. .

I still have the 1987 Southern Railway "Freight Runner" set. Been boxed up for many years now after a few of runs on the Den carpet at the Mountain Cottage.

I remember the D&H set, always liked that scheme on the RS3. Might have to see if I can find that set...

Mike,

 

There were several D&H Coastal Freight Sets for sale on the Bay earlier this week.

John, I saw one for $199 plus $20 shipping. Is that reasonable for this set? It's advertised as new and shown in the original box.

Mike,

 

Fair warning. I’m not an expert on the prices for these sets. Offhand, that sounds reasonable for a new set.

 

I can tell you the one I bought about a year ago (new, unused) was cheaper, but not by much. I’m thinking I paid  ~ $170.

 

Btw, I just looked at Grzyboski’s Train Site as they are one the few online dealers who still carries some of the older Lionel Service Station and Collector Sets. He wants $245 for the Coastal Freight.  A little perspective.

 

 

http://www.grzyboskitrains.com/category95.aspx

I have that set.  That is one set which has that PW look!

I figured that price wasn't too far off, especially if a store is asking $245 plus shipping. Might have just found my Christmas present!

There were definitely at least a few after the list Don posted.

 

The 1998 Fire Set is one of my favorites in terms of capturing a bunch of cool postwar cars in a single set.  I think this was also the first TMCC fire car offered.  The sounds and light were nice on this.

 

-Dave

 

The SSS from 1990 is also pretty sharp looking.

 

I jumped on this one because I loved the fact I could run pristine, green, 2400 series cars!!  

You guys were supposed to talk me OUT of buying one!!! Oh well, I have a Feather River set on the way now. My dad's uncle worked for the WP many years ago and somewhere in my parents house there's a picture of me at 2 or 3 sitting in the cab of a WP switcher. Can't wait for Christmas break so I can get started on my layout.

1996 6-11912 Lionel Steel Set Had TMCC Mining Switcher and two die cast ore cars

 

2000 6-21952 Service Station Set C420 with some old Lionel Tooling as a load 

 

The 1978 M& StL is One of My Favorites ran it under my tree last year.

I still have the Great Lakes Express, just a simple, fine, attractive set.

And don't forget the add on ore car for that 96 set.  (I don't know for a fact that the add on was also only offered to Service Stations, but that would seem to make sense.)

 

-Dave

That Feather River is a nice set! 

 

And agree with the others. The Great Lakes Express is one of the ones that has escaped me. Always admired that one and may have to look around for one.