pickup wheels are sparking..

Try cleaning tge pick ups and the wheels.  Don't forget to clean the track. Dirt will cause problems and cause the train to stop or cause undesired operation. I use W d 40 first and rubbing alcohol to clean the oil from the pick ups wheels and track. It works very well. I also use a swiffer to clean track first with w d and then rubbing alcohol to get the oil. Swiffer gets hard to reach areas. Works great.  On the swiffer I use a bounty towel. Keep em clean and keep em rolling.

Glenn

Sparking is almost always due to dirt - but dirt that might not be right where you think it is.  I'd start by cleaning everything - all the wheels, the center pickups, the track.  If you have cleaned the track, wheels, and pickups well, and the sparking continues, something has gone wrong with the electronics - probably a bad capacitor.  But that is extremely unlikely.  Really clean everything, and lube the center pickup rollers with Neolube or something that won't interfere with the rollers electrical function.  95% of the time that takes care of it.

Another measure I've found useful if cleaning isn't enough is to use something like Deoxit-D5 on the roller shafts, that did wonders for several of my locomotives.

use what john said above and spray inside the roller.

If you don't want to use a chemical spray, I would recommend using a pink pencil eraser to scrub the pickup rollers clean. 

Has anyone tried this? CAIG DeoxIT D100L Liquid with Needle Applicator

It says it also lubricates I was wondering if it could be used a primary lubricant for pick up rollers or only as a cleaner.

I use a red scotch bright pad to clean my tracks off with...always had issues with my S1 with those pickup rollers..

The problem with this approach is you can't clean the pin and inside of the roller, which is a primary area for corrosion and dirt to form and get trapped.  Unless it is an old post war style where you bend the bracket and remove the roller.  Which you don't want to do too often.  G

SOMETIMES ITS BEST TO CHANGE THE PICK UP ROLLER ALL TOGETHER. IVE DONE THIS ON ONE OF MY MTH ENGINES

thats what I was thinking on..Why in the heck do they put tapered rollers...My q2 has the same rollers too...but my s2 has flat rollers...GGG do you handle Kline parts?..Seen these on the bay..but think the guys is asking too much for them 19.50 plus 4 for shipping..Is that the going price on them??..want to change the s1 and q2 to flat rollers..My s1 I did clean them up but has groves in them..

which Deoxit D5?

DeoxIT® - Contact Cleaner & Rejuvenator - Brings Old Systems Back to Life!
DeoxIT® GOLD (formerly ProGold) - Contact Conditioner & Protector - Maximizes New System Performance!
DeoxIT® SHIELD (formerly PreservIT) - Contact Protector - Maintains New System Performance in Severe Environments!

This is the one I use.  I don't spray it on directly, as that's much too messy.  I spray it into a needle-point applicator bottle and then use that to apply it.

 

so the roller will go over switches and not get caught.

looks like id fixed the problem..took the rollers off and found oil residue between the pickup and gasket clean the oil off and also scotch bright the rollers to clean them off..not much spark now..very little..

No K-line parts, but that looks like a post war style where you can bend the bracket to get the roller off the pin.  If not, you may have to grind and use a PW replacement.

 

Need to get inventive for K-Line repairs now.  That also is an old style where the retaining screw is from the engine side.  Williams still uses that style, so they may have a similar pickup roller.  G