Worn power pickup rollers

[kgstones]

I just purchased a Lionel set of powered A & B diesel engines.  The previous owner said they were run 6-8 hours.  There are significant groves worn in each of the power pickup rollers.  They run fine and there doesn't seem to be excessive wear on the motor gears.  I haven't opened them up to further inspect them yet.  I've never seen such wear on pickup rollers before.  Does anyone have any idea what might cause this excessive wear or what run time it may indicate?  I don't think they got stuck and didn't roll as the wear is uniform all around the entire rollers.  The groves have a flattish bottom which seems to indicate running on fast track as opposed to tubular track.

Thanks, Mickey

[jmkk]

Could have been dirty track. Or they were run in a dirty environment. The dirt causes arcing. Arcing removes metal. Just a thought.

[kgstones]

OK, thanks.  There was a bit of dirt on the wheels, the black greasy stuff I too, commonly get.  I try to keep everything cleaned up with the usuals - scotch pad, denatured alcohol.

Actually I wonder if that really might be part of the cause.  The rest of the set consists of two non-powered A & B units and a string of 7 passenger cars also with pickup rollers.  Those pieces don't show the same drastic wear as the two motor-powered units.  Perhaps the larger power draw to the motors exacerbated the wear.  I guess that's provided everything was run for the same length of time.  Still seems rather strange for supposedly such a relatively short run time.

Thanks again, Mickey

[TRAINCAT]

In my own experience with Lionel F3 units there are two things that cause excessive roller wear. Number one is a dirty pitted center rail, followed by dirty rollers which do not rotate properly. Your units also could have many more hours on them than you were told. Are the wheels themselves worn thin in the flanges or slightly grooved? Do any of the wheels rub the truck blocks which would indicate worn out axle bearings? Do the motor brushes set fairly deep into the brush holders?

Roger

[ADCX Rob]

kgstones

...The groves have a flattish bottom which seems to indicate running on fast track as opposed to tubular track....

FasTrack is tubular, and the rail contact section is the same as regular "O".

[servoguy]

I think the seller wasn't honest about the running time.  I have a 2353 that has a lot of roller wear.  It probably is the result of lack of lubrication of the roller and/or dirty track.  The engine rollers always wear fastest because they carry the most current.

BB

[Bob Keller]

In the 1998-2000 window I'd occasionally get calls from people with really worn rollers (both brand new trains and replacement rollers for older trains). This was among several makers and it suggested there might have been a supplier with long run of pickup rollers made of inferior metal. Have not had many calls or e-mails about this since then.

[kgstones]

Thanks to all for your replies.

The wheels are not worn or grooved in the flanges nor do any of the wheels rub on anything.  The motor brushes are about 1/32 inch below the top of the holes they are in.  Perhaps the arcing caused by dirty rails along with the heavy current contributed to the wear.   Also, this set was manufactured in 2000 so what Bob Keller mentioned about use of inferior metal for the rollers may also be a contributor to all this.  All these factors are things I wasn't aware of until now.  Here are two images of the rollers and wheels.

Here's what the brushes look like.  They are a bit hard to see but you can see the tops just inside the holders so I think they are in good shape.  There is a little rust on the heavy metal sections of the motors.  Is it OK to apply a light film of oil to those areas?

I also placed two drops of oil in each of the motor armature shaft holes per the instructions.  I've run the units and they seem to be OK - no strange noises.

Lastly, should I replace the worn rollers?  And where is the best place to purchase them.  Thanks again to everyone.  I really appreciate the help.  Thanks Rob for the FasTrack profile info too.

Mickey

[runtime]

Those photos show very dramatic groves! My 2343 postwar F3 shows roller wear less severe than yours and I estimate mine has seen 200+ hours of running.

While it seems that the materials on your China made product  must be softer than postwar stuff, I can not imagine any material wearing that much in 6 hours.

runtime