Until recently China used steam locomotives in regular mainline service. I was wondering if the Chinese experimented with or were using some of the innovations that U.S. railroads tried late in the steam era like poppet valves, duplex drive, and turbines, or did they keep using tried and true designs?
The ideal Chinese steam locomotive was one that could be counted upon to perform a job day after day after day, at minimum cost, using the simplest machinery. While they experimented with advanced valve gear,steam exhaust ports, roller bearing side rods and axles and more efficient fireboxes, they focused on simple, easily maintained locomotives. The experimentals had predictably brief careers, while the basic standard 2-8-2s and 2-10-2s were built right up into the 1990s!
Thanks for the reply, no doubt the abundance of cheap labor kept maintenance costs reasonable. It sounds like the Chinese had pretty much the same experience with experimental designs as the Americans.
Just consider how famous the Chinese have become for reverse engineering and copying ANYTHING.