>>1879581No amount of development could make reciprocating steam locos operate as efficiently and conveniently as diesels or electrics, especially after the price of coal and labor went up.
>>1881378It appears that nobody put any serious thought into their design before it was too late. Chapelon and Porta could make spectacular improvements because most engines were just badly proportioned, even the valve gears were all over the place.
By the time viable alternatives appeared, there was no point developing them.
