How time flies: it's a year ago that I first discovered what booked traffic used the WR according to the 1968 timetable, thanks to the kind provision of original info by forum members. After some frothing on RMWeb3 I've left the subject alone with a basic understanding of what's required to run a convincing service. Yesterday I revisited the passenger W/T/T through the eyes of a youthful basher to see what a Freedom of Scotland might have promised...

On the redeye, we took advantage of a seasonally balmy Edinburgh night to work out to Teviotbank in the two MkIs available for public use on 2M01, behind two-tone green 64B Class 24 D5072, arriving at 2351. Here the passenger coaches are cut, and two BGs added in their place (one for Carlisle and Euston, the other Leeds and thence Burton-upon-Trent), the train going forward at 0012 as 3M01.

At 0132, D214 worked 6S09 northbound, at 0223 a pair of Claytons running half an hour early with 4S40 woke us just too late for us to i.d them. D263 whistled through at 0359, five minutes down, towards Kingmoor with 4M49 comprising three dozen vans. Evidence of another Control fix maybe as D9010 in its unique TTGFYE livery with double-arrows worked in at 0447 from Millerhill with the local freight trip: Dreadful!

With the Deltic's characteristic hum adding to the gentle caress of the Teviot, as she idled in the sidings, not a quarter of an hour passed before D5095 clattered to a noisy stand with 3S01, the Waverley Postal. Allowed 14 minutes station time, the Royal Mail lads worked hard to get her away. The local newsagent's Bedford creaked under the stacks of broadsheets as it spluttered off into the dawn.

At 0543 the bell code for train in section startled a couple of the guys. A cluster of early starters shuffled about wearily awaiting arrival of 1S22 the Down Pullman, as it's known locally. Split-box Peak D25 unique in its austerity green with full yellow ends drew in on the usual load nine. Two of the group, being Peak main men, asked the guard if they could have a Second Class compo to themselves, and getting the nod they bade us farewell as the sixteen wheeler headed off towards Waverley.

Unseen to us, a 64B Brush 4 had been stood awhile at Platform 2 on another Class 3, picking up barrows full of catalogue packages. Turns out it was D1973, yet another recipient of full yellow ends on green livery; she soon gave a mournful monotone toot as the driver notched up to slide slowly off southwards. No sooner had the tail light disappeared than another yellow snout nosed into view under the A7 bridge, awesome - D8612 and D8609 in a pair on 4M60, nearly half an hour early - plenty of time for the booked crew change.

As the three of us wondered aloud what was in the never-ending string of vent vans, and which service the Blue Spot fish four-leggers come down on, a two-tone horn heralded yet another Class 4, this time from the Whitrope direction, 4S41 with unusually D6903 at its head. Checking the clock on platform 3 it showed 0628, and right on cue the stock for 2M53 was making its way towards the Carlisle bay. Now it was decision time....