European Railroad Discussion > What did I see on the Firth of Forth?

My wife and I had a cruise around the British Isles in late August, we anchored off Queesferry, Scotland, on Sunday the 26th.
Our anchorage was a short distance from the Firth of Forth bridge, the landmark crossing not far north of Edimburgh.
While waiting for our shore excursion departure I saw this fan trip twice, he went north and returned later in the morning.
Going north he stopped just before leaving the bridge long enough to raise the safety valves.
There images are the best I can make from shooting through rain marked thick glass.
Can anyone advise what engine and what trip I happened to see?
Our trip was to see Ireland and Scotland: the country, coast, and not exactly a railfan trip but of course a running main line steam train cannot be ignored.
Thanks in advance.

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The steam loco is no. 45407 (a class 5MT or 'Black 5'), the diesel is class 37 no. 37507. This railtour was the Fife Coast to Scottish Borders railtour, using traction from the West Coast Railway Co. (the class 37) and Riley and Son (Black 5).

Thank you sir.
Here in the USA all the likely main line steam power is so well known and so rare that there are no mysteries.
I bought a British RR magazine (one of perhaps 8 on offer at the Heathrow departure gates) and found the list of regular steam operations too vast to try and figure out what the one I saw was.  In Britian it would appear any summer weekend sees more main line steam that the whole year in the USA.
 

Just a slight correction if I may.  The bridge is called The Forth Bridge.

Aye, correction noted.

railstiesballast Wrote:
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> Thank you sir.
> Here in the USA all the likely main line steam
> power is so well known and so rare that there are
> no mysteries.
> I bought a British RR magazine (one of perhaps 8
> on offer at the Heathrow departure gates) and
> found the list of regular steam operations too
> vast to try and figure out what the one I saw
> was.  In Britian it would appear any summer
> weekend sees more main line steam that the whole
> year in the USA.
>  

No problem at all. You're correct, the steam excursion scene is thriving in the UK, in mid-summer there's something operating most days of the week, often more than one per day.