TRIVIA ANSWERS:

1.
Q:  In what year(s) did Lionel catalog the fewest sets?
A:  1945 or 1968 (when only one outfit was made); unless you count 1967, when Lionel made no trains at all.

2.
Q:  In what year did Lionel catalog the most sets?
A:  Surprisingly, 1946!  Although the variety of rolling stock was very limited, 31 different outfits were listed.  One reason for the diversity: eight sets, led by inexpensive steam locos, were offered either with a plain tender or with a whistle tender.

As Lionel devotees are well aware, the variety of engines and cars increased greatly during the late 1950s when many styles of diesels and electrics were made and most of them came in new road names each year.  The second-biggest year for outfits was 1958, when 29 unique sets were cataloged.

 
3.
Q:  What postwar cataloged set is the rarest?
A:  Quite possibly #2502W, a three-car Budd RDC commuter train offered in 1958 only.  Records from the Lionel factory indicate only 600 were made.  Doyle gives it a scarcity rating of 8.

4.
Q:  Which postwar set cost the most?
A:  #13150 ($225) was Lionel’s top-of-the-line outfit in 1964-1966.  It included the 773 Hudson, seven freight cars, a ZW transformer, and a bountiful supply of Super “O” track including a pair of remote-control switches.  However, #4110WS, the “Lionel Electronic Railroad”, listed for $199.95 when it was cataloged in 1948 and 1949.  Adjusting both prices for inflation, #13150 would have cost $1432 in 2006 dollars, and #4110WS would have cost $1744.

5.
Q:  Which postwar set is the most valuable today?
A:  Hands down, the #2555W Super “O” / HO set from 1960, which commands $40,000 in like new condition with all its boxes.