HELP. Pick up rollers sparking

Dirty track is the usual culprit.

Other causes include dirty pickup rollers and dirty pickup roller axles, loose pickup rollers (loose on their axles or, for those with pins that fit into spring-loaded mounts, loose pins/oblong holes in the mounts will also do it.

I have had good luck with spraying contact cleaner through the roller axle hole while spinning the roller.  Make sure that you wear eye protection and also protect the finish of your locomotive from the spray.

@RAK posted:

Dirty track is the usual culprit.

Other causes include dirty pickup rollers and dirty pickup roller axles, loose pickup rollers (loose on their axles or, for those with pins that fit into spring-loaded mounts, loose pins/oblong holes in the mounts will also do it.

I have had good luck with spraying contact cleaner through the roller axle hole while spinning the roller.  Make sure that you wear eye protection and also protect the finish of your locomotive from the spray.

 

That is good advice. Also, may I add that the pick-up rollers on your diesel switcher have grooves in them from years of wear and are in dire need of replacement. The worn rollers can also cause sparking.

It looks looks the right pickup roller is wet. It is not necessary to lubricate the rollers; they run fine dry like the factory sent them out. Any lubrication of them attracts dirt on them and the track.  Dirty rollers, wheels or track cause sparking of the rollers as the dirt is an insulator. Clean them, all wheels and the track with Naphtha to get best performance.

Larry

If it were me, I'd take a brass Dremel wire brush to those rollers. Only takes a 30 seconds and will spin them like crazy thereby also cleaning/polishing the axel and inner roller hole at the same time

This usually starts with insufficient spring pressure that allows the rollers to bounce off the rail. In the bottom picture it appears the roller supports are bent up. Change the rollers and bend the roller supports back down.

Pete

Postwar and any open frame powered engine draws more Amps, which will cause more sparking.  When I have the E unit turned on vs locked out on my old OO Lionel engine, the sparking increases with the extra Amps the coil on the E unit draws over just the motor running alone.   When was the last time post war and other engine were serviced?   Might be time for a good complete degrease and regrease along with polishing the rollers with a wire brush in a dremel tool.  AD

@Randy Harrison posted:

...may I add that the pick-up rollers on your diesel switcher have grooves in them from years of wear and are in dire need of replacement. The worn rollers can also cause sparking.

@Jushavnfun posted:

Lionel postwar diesel

Those look nearly new to me.

Had this problem with a postwar F3, put in a new set of rollers, stopped sparking and ran at much lower voltage. Be careful when you take the screws out some of them have tiny insulating washers that will immediately disappear if you don't watch for them on the screws or below the roller bracket.

The postwar engine was completely overhauled 1 hr run time.  The MTH has about 30 minutes on it.  Track is new and clean .  Pickup rollers are dry on surfaces.. 

I'll take a look at the spring tension

Thanks everyone