Hello all,
I recently got a Brawa Bavarian Railways G4/5 freight loco (Item # 40127). About 160 bucks. I couldn't resist. However, there's an issue. I run analog, and at a constant transformer setting, the loco runs at an inconsistent speed regardless of transformer voltage. My first thought was that something is binding with every wheel revolution, but I haven't been able to find anything. I've also oiled all moving parts besides the motor and have tried running it in for an extended period, but nothing helps. Track current is fine; all of my other engines run pretty consistently, including Marklin's new Albatross (beautiful engine, BTW).

This engine is, like a lot of Brawa stuff, hyper-detailed down to representation of the inside running gear (the prototype was a 4 cylinder). Maybe therein lies the problem. If anyone has any experience or ideas, I'd love to get feedback. Thanks,
Norbert

I agree with Robert.

If you can disconnect the motor you can easily determine if the drive mechanism is turning freely. When I have had binding in a steamer's drivetrain it has been caused by the two sides of the engine getting out of quarter, due to a drive wheel which has slipped on the axle.