"Everything Should Be Made as Simple as Possible, But Not Simpler", certainly applies to any prediction concerning this contest.
This particular demonstration wasn’t fair, due to the issues with the bar angle, the relative weights of the machines, etc. but fixing all that wouldn’t change the result.
Steam engines have all their torque available at 0 rpm. Steam locomotives always could accelerate a train from 0 no diesel could. That is why modern trains have electric motors to provide traction and the diesels just provide power to the motors.