I am hoping an expert would answer this question so as to shed light on deeper or more profound points. As such, this is a basic answer covering some easy to understand points. This is based upon number of things I thought about years ago (it seems that some of those observations can be used in this question).

So let's start with your question "how far does this notation reach". I don't know what would be the answer to the question. It seems that to be able to answer though one would have to frame the question much more precisely (and I am not certain what that framing would be). Meanwhile the specific constructions you are posting (and far beyond that) are easily understood thinking in terms of generalized notion of being able to do complex calculations on ordinals. 

For example, let's talk about something specific. In the beginning of your post you mention a way of starting with the function $x \mapsto \omega_x$ and how to arrive at an ordinal that is analogous to $\Gamma_0$. This analogy can be made precise using infinite programs that are sufficiently powerful. How so? Assume that a function $f:\mathrm{Ord} \rightarrow \mathrm{Ord}$ is "given" to the program. Exactly the **same** program that takes one to $\Gamma_0$ (given $f(x)=\omega^x$) will take one to "analogue of $\Gamma_0$" that you mention in your question. The only difference is that the function $f$ "given" to the program now is $f(x)=\omega_x$.

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Now the same observations apply to bigger ordinals. I haven't studied the original Veblen paper so I am not 100% sure if the correspondences that I mention below are exact or not (so please correct if they aren't). 

One way to think about SVO is in terms of a function $(\omega_1)^\omega \rightarrow \omega_1$. This is analogous to thinking $\Gamma_0$ in terms of $(\omega_1)^2 \rightarrow \omega_1$. Quite informally, I use the term "storage-functions" for these functions. The $\omega_1$ isn't quite relevant in the sense that we just need an ordinal "big enough" ($\omega_{CK}$ would be sufficient in the above two cases). But anyway, that's besides the point. The point here is that when a function $x \rightarrow \omega^x$ alongside with a command of form $u:=\omega_1$ is given to us, then there is a specific infinite program which can compute the storage function (in input-output sense).

Is this relevant to your question? Yes. The same program that gives us SVO when given the function $x \mapsto \omega^x$ will take us to the "analogue of SVO" in the question. A similar observation applies to LVO. But the issue of "storage function" seems to become trickier in this "analogue" case.

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Finally, very briefly, towards the end you mention "extension" of transfinite variable. In the case of original hierarchy these kind of basic extensions would be handled by extending the domain of the "storage function" by a very modest amount. For example, from $(\omega_1)^{\omega_1}  \rightarrow \omega_1$ to $(\omega_1)^{\omega_1} \cdot \omega \rightarrow \omega_1$ etc. Similarly observations made earlier in this post about the "same" program taking us to the "analogue" of corresponding ordinal would apply.

How time consuming it would be to write the detail of storage functions? For $(\omega_1)^2 \rightarrow \omega_1$ (starting with $x \mapsto \omega^x$) taking us to $\Gamma_0$ it should be fairly simple (though still a bit long to post all of it here). And then it gets lengthier, as it gets more complicated.