because generating electricity is not very efficient, coal being imported from bolivia etcDoes it matter how far the stations are apart?btw dieselectric means the locomotive isn't directly diesel-driven, but runs on electricity generated by a diesel-generator inside the locomotive
The advantages of dieselelectric outweigh steam, mostly due to the high maintenance required on coal-fired steam engines. Another large factor is the ability of electrical generator to drive the traction motors required to overcome the inertia of the enormous mass of the freight when the train is starting up. Efficiency is not simply the mechanical efficiency of the system, but the ability to maintain the system and adapt it to various tasks.
