I'm loving this thread!
Sadly, diesels will still have major advantages. For one thing, if you need it, you just turn it on, and a few minutes later, it's ready. It needs less maintenance, and each extra locomotive needs a full crew. Water is needed at relatively short intervals, too.
Steam could still stay viable longer; my Great North Central is running about 50% steam in the present day.
So would all of the UP steam rebuilds see similar gains to the Red Devil? A Big Boy with a with Class 26 rebuild would add 40% more horsepower totaling to 8800HP! With the UP having about 250-300 of the most powerful and efficient steam locomotives how is system wide dieselization still possible or even economically justifiable?
With the other roads noticing the UP's success in rebuild programs, most experimental high horsepower diesel or gas turbine locomotives would likely never make it off the drawing boards.
Sadly, diesels will still have major advantages. For one thing, if you need it, you just turn it on, and a few minutes later, it's ready. It needs less maintenance, and each extra locomotive needs a full crew. Water is needed at relatively short intervals, too.
Steam could still stay viable longer; my Great North Central is running about 50% steam in the present day.