Dorset Coast Express 2024

My Dad and I were regulars on the DCE up until 2017 and also on the excellent Swanage Belle trips. We had some really memorable trips on these excursions with some cracking performances from the locos.
The last DCE we travelled on in September 2017 was a little disappointing as 60009 was shoved by the diesel for most of the outward journey due to problems encountered with the water stops.
The days of having two steam locomotives available were the best years of the DCE. At certain times there was a proposed pool of 4 locomotives for the DCE but I don't think that four were ever available at the same time due to either other commitments coming up or failures.
On a few occasions the DCE was cancelled outright due to all of the locomotives in the allocated pool being unavailable.

Hopefully the RTC will continue with the trips to Weymouth in the future if things improve with the WCRC situation. The current situation with limited rolling stock also limits the locomotive pool at the moment.
I do wonder in the future if 34007 would be available for RTC's programme of SR trips as she will be ideally situated at her home of Ropley.

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Is air braking equipment being installed on 34007 now that this seems to be de-rigueur, or at least much easier operating, in conjunction with Central Door Locking fitment ? CDL can be done on vacuum braked coaches, of course, but the electrical 'gubbins' requires the constant power supply from Mk1 lead acid (?) coach batteries charged by dynamos. 1950s technology might not be up-to-the-job on a regular basis I've been told.