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[quote user="MichaelSol"] The argument seems to be that such tests are "unfair" against the Diesel-electric when they show the Steam engine developing greater TE than a comparable Diesel-electric as the train increases its need for tractive effort in order to keep moving or accelerating. Well, as Fred has pointed out in the most useful way, there's nothing "unfair" about it, that, in fact, the Steam engine does produce a greater Tractive Effort at higher speeds than a comparable Diesel-electric engine irrespective of weight on the driving wheels and that is because of inherent characteristics of the reciprocating Steam engine design which, in that instance, is able to do something that the Diesel-electric locomotive cannot do, or at least cannot do nearly as well. [/quote]My emphasis on "comparable."With all due respect, I must ask again: What is comparable about the two locomotives?  You are comparing a steamer to a diesel with the steamer having higher maximum horsepower and higher tractive effort than the diesel.  And then you conclude that the steam locomotives in general are fundamentally better than diesels in general at producing tractive effort.   Both locomotive types develop their highest tractive effort at lower speeds and then exhibit a fall-off as their speed increases, even though accelerating the train to higher speeds requires increasing tractive effort.Here is the comparison that I would like to see.  This is a table you posted earlier.  It showed the steamer producing a maximum of 8,400 hp at 55 mph.  If I change the comparison so the steamer develops a maximum of 5,600 hp at 55 mph, what are the other numbers?  And then what is the tractive effort for each locomotive at each speed?      <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td>MPH      </td><td>Diesel-electric         </td><td>Steam </td><td>      HP  needed</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>    4,278</td><td> </td><td>         307</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>    5,133</td><td> </td><td>         743</td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td>    5,600</td><td> </td><td>      1,239</td></tr><tr><td>20</td><td>    5,600</td><td> </td><td>      1,839</td></tr><tr><td>25</td><td>    5,600</td><td> </td><td>      2,562</td></tr><tr><td>30</td><td>    5,600</td><td> </td><td>      3,426</td></tr><tr><td>35</td><td>    5,600</td><td> </td><td>      4,446</td></tr><tr><td>40</td><td>    5,600</td><td> </td><td>      5,641</td></tr><tr><td>45</td><td>    5,600</td><td> </td><td>      7,028</td></tr><tr><td>50</td><td>    5,600</td><td> </td><td>      8,624</td></tr><tr><td>55</td><td>    5,600</td><td>5,600</td><td>     10,447</td></tr><tr><td>60</td><td>    5,600</td><td> </td><td>     12,513</td></tr><tr><td>65</td><td>    5,600</td><td> </td><td>     14,840</td></tr><tr><td>70</td><td>    5,600</td><td> </td><td>     17,445</td></tr></tbody></table>
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