Pick Up Rollers Be Problematic???

[trainbrain]

Called Lionel today about the front roller sparking all the time on a Railsounds GP9.  It runs good but will stall on some switches.  Everything is clean.  Lionel said the rollers should be changed after awhile. The engine is 10 years old but not a lot of running time.  The rollers look OK but should they be changed anyway??   Would this stop the sparking??  It does run good except for the stalling on some switches.

Thanks

[dougdagrump]

Make sure that your track, all 3 rails, is clean. Clean the wheels and pick-up roller and you can also try a little conductive lube on the pin thru the p/u roller. Also you might want to check the tension on the spring that holds down the p/u roller. 

[kpolak]

I am in the process of going thru this with a 2338 GP-7...and I just completed a thread.

http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/1086207/ShowPost.aspx

I hope this helps.

Kurt

[Andrew Falconer]

The sparking occurs on Locomotives that are operating on Atlas O Solid Steel Tracks with the blackened center rail.

What type of track are you using?

Andrew

[USNRol]

Called Lionel today about the front roller sparking all the time on a Railsounds GP9. 

I am assuming below the sparking you see is between the roller and the center rail.

Trainbrain, Once a collector starts sparking like you're describing here the arcs (Especially at higher voltage settings) can develop significant "pitting" in the normally smooth surface of the collector roller.  Once these deformities are present they will drastically reduce the surface area of contact between the roller and the center rail, leading to even more sparking.  I would recommend using an appropriate grit of sand paper perhaps to resurface the roller.  smooth and uniform is the key to maximum contact with the rail.

The sparking could also be between the roller and the collector spring arm.  If the roller axle is terribly gunked up to a point where electrical continuity is intermittant between the roller and the spring arm, arc may jump from the roller to the arms. 

Is your roller and collector very hot after short periods of operation?  Heat is a tell-tale sign of arcing

Unfortunately the damage the arcing does to your roller can also be done to your center rail.  Resurfacing may be required there as well.

Roland

[luther_stanton]

The sparking occurs on Locomotives that are operating on Atlas O Solid Steel Tracks with the blackened center rail.

What type of track are you using?

Andrew

I just installed some of the Atlas steel track late Sunday afternoon.  I am replacing sections of nickel silver track with the steel track on my layout that are on an inclince - in order to get the benefit of magnatraction.

On the first run I noticed significantly more sparking with my locomotives on the steel track than the nickel silver Atlas track.  I also noticed the black on the center rail of the steel track is much harder to remove than the blackening on the nickel silver track. 

I was able to remove some of the black from the steel track but have not had a chance to test with the cleaner center rail. 

[EIS2]

Make sure that your track, all 3 rails, is clean. Clean the wheels and pick-up roller and you can also try a little conductive lube on the pin thru the p/u roller. Also you might want to check the tension on the spring that holds down the p/u roller. 

What brand of conductive lube do you reccomend and where do you obtain it?

Thanks...

Earl