Rolling Stock and motive power

I have recently purchased and downloaded the exhibitor's version of the Model Train Catalogue into which I have entered all my locomotives (but not yet rolling stock).

It seems that, over the years, I have acquired some 54 steam and seven diesel locomotives. All the latter are GWR 'Banana' railcars, passenger and express parcels. Some of these are Farish originals, some are Farish bodies into which I have added Tomytec motorised chassis, which I also fitted to a Langley white metal kit with vinyl panels, and a BH Enterprises 3D-printed model, painted for me by weathering expert, Andy Small.

The steam locomotives come from a variety of manufactures; Farish (17), Dapol (22), Union Mills (7), Peco (just one Collett Goods) and a few white metal kits from P&D Marsh and Langley. One curio is a Dapol auto-trailer, which has been adapted to become a steam rail car, replacing the front bogies with a motorised Tomytec four-wheel bogie with pistons and connecting rods and adding a chimney. Pick-ups have been added to the rear original bogies for me by Steve Lowndes.

Rolling stock is an eclectic mix of pre-nationalisation carriages and wagons from the usual proprietors, plus some commissioned trucks from Robbie's Rolling Stock and a range of kits from Osbornes, Skytrex, Mill Lane, County Rolling Stock, Langley and the N Gauge Society.

I can accommodate only 16 trains on the layout, so will try to exhibit a variety of locomotives pulling a selection of stopping and throughpassenger services, mixed goods and military supplies. These will predominantly be GWR including a 'Hall', 'Castle', large and small 'Prairies', 'Dukedog', City of Truro brought out of retirement, 'Flying Banana' railcars, 'Panniers', 'Collett Goods' and (hopefully) a pair of Sonic 56XX locomotives. Visiting SR Q1 and 'Spam Can', an LMS 'Compound' and an LNER D11, alternating with a D16 with a troop train of Gresley teaks, are aimed at that small minority of people for whom GWR holds little appeal.

I have been experimenting with couplings to find the optimum pairing for whole rake running and magnetic uncoupling. Some of my rolling stock have DGs, others have Dapol's Easi-shunt buckeyes, some have Elsies with magnetic detaching strips, others have Rapidos in NEM pockets. Recently, I tried the Scharfenberg couplings bought from Dapol. I suspect these would be fine in a home-based layout, but I found in transit to and from the ARA clubhouse, they were not robust for frequent coupling/de-coupling in and out of stock boxes, and one vital part kept falling off, while some were never recovered. The jury is still out.