Hi Les,
My experience of these, of various vintages, are that the DML range used hollow chrome vanadium bed bars and the CL range used solid bars. This was reflected in the cost of the lathe.
The DML 24 should have bed bars that allow 24" between centres so the 1metre length sounds about right. Some length is 'wasted' under the head and tailstock.
Like most lathes the toolrest was locked in place with a Bristol handle but most of these wear out and the user replaces them with whatever is at hand. I use an electronics company who do a nylon handled, steel insert bristol handle for a very reasonable price (£4 for a male 6mm thread). Let me know if that's the size required and I would be happy to send one to you but would have to add a bit for postage.
Similarly with the tailstock quill but this had the front of the thread removed so it would run in the slot in the quill. This served two purposes - it prevented the quill rotating as you wound it in and it meant that the locking was on the bottom of the slot, not on the quill body, which would leave burrs and prevent it sliding in and out smoothly.
Finally, the banjo and tailstock on later models had a short threaded stub, with a short steel rod handle, that engaged with a bolt that descended from those sections, but I don't know when they were introduced. I know several turners who have just a nut and keep a convenient spanner for just that purpose.
It does sound like there are a few things that could be done to make the lathe a bit more user friendly but it still sounds like a good little lathe on which to get started.
One last thing to mention, and is a common poblem. The pulleys are held on the shaft with two grub screws, one on top of the other. The top one is a 'locking' one. If the pulley is slipping on the shaft, remember to remove the top grub screw so you can tighten the lower one. Apologies if you were aware of this but I thought I should mention it as I have 'helped' several turners with exactly this problem.
Hope that helps,