Edited later: Question: Toots, when you do double or triple head your engines, assuming you're DCC, what is your sequence of starting each loco rolling ? I meant with steam (which of course can't be MU-ed like diesel.), and also not in digital-consist, either. Put another way, to mimic the 1:1 scale steam activity, what would be your way of starting to move 2 or more engines ? Just a little puzzle to see if you too came to the same conclusion as I.
I can't see why steam engines with DCC can't be consisted just as diesels can, they're all electric motor and fitted with digital decoders. I use NCE as my control system, as does my club, so I use it's "Advanced consisting" method. I believe most DCC control systems have something similar, but there may be some differences in the setting up. The alternative method provided for is what NCE call "Old style" consisting, where it is just a matter, basically, of adding the loco addresses together in no particular order. Their Advanced consisting identifies a consist by the lead loco's address and the rear loco's address, others get added as extras to that. There are advantages to this method, not available in the "Old" one.
What I do, I start up each engine I want to consist in their respective positions (uncoupled, with a bit of space between) by each ones own address. I then select and enter the Advanced option on my Cab. This then gives me a consist number, starting at a high of 127 and going backwards from there if any are already occupied by another operator e.g. say, 124 if 3 others are already assigned. I then get asked on the Cab's screen for the address of the lead loco, which I type in and press enter. Then I get asked for the direction in which the loco is facing and will normally be running F or R, select and enter. Then I am asked for the rear loco's address and go through the same process. Adding more locos is just a matter of doing the same thing with their addresses.
Normally after setting up the consist in this way the display will change the loco address in the display to the lead loco's number and change from LOC to CON, but I have had to remind it which one by selecting and re-entering it.
I then, while they are still uncoupled, test the consist, to make sure it's all working as required. After that, it's away you go.
I do have a problem at the club, because my Cab is radio connected to the base station, of as yet, a positively unidentified interference that can scramble the display. I believe it's because the building is metal framed as is also much of the layout's frame, the main reason I go through all the checks, the other is that the loco's I usually use in consists have had CV's modified to act in certain ways in the consist (lead, rear or mid) as I choose, with the functions that that loco would have alone, something that you can't do with the other method of consisting.