Diesel locomotive break down. Hydraulic transmission for locomotives was developed in Germany. There is still debate over the relative merits of hydraulic vs. electrical transmission systems: advantages claimed for hydraulic systems include lower weight, high reliability, and lower capital cost. By the 21st century, for diesel locomotive traction worldwide the majority of countries used diesel–electric designs, with diesel hydraulic designs not found in use outside Germany and Japan, and some neighbouring states, where it is used in designs for freight work. In Germany and Finland, diesel–hydraulic systems have achieved high reliability in operation. In the UK the diesel–hydraulic principle gained a poor
Baldwin Locomotive Works which boosted demand for their coal-fired steam locomotives while acquisition of EMD's Diesel locomotives was in its most restricted period. In 1943 Baldwin launched its belated road Diesel program, producing a prototype "Centipede" locomotive which was later rebuilt to introduce their first major product in the postwar market. During World War II Baldwin's contributions to the war effort included not only locomotives and switchers but also tanks. Baldwin was one of the manufacturers of several variants of the M3 tank (M3 Lee, M3A2, M3A3, M3A5) and later the M4 Sherman. A Baldwin subsidiary, the Whitcomb Locomotive Company, produced hundreds of