The Oakbank oil works was established on a small, isolated shalefield which by 1909 was exhausted. An innovative aerial ropeway, of German manufacture, was constructed in 1908 to carry shale from a new shale mine (Newfarm No.3 & 4) to Oakbank oil works, a distance of two miles. The ropeway carried makers plates "constructed by J. Pohlig (Ltd) Cologne, Germany" which were apparently removed at the beginning of World War One. It stopped operation in 1919

The photos show:

• 001 drive plant of the aerial ropeway at the Newfarm terminal
• 002 protective bridge where the ropeway crossed the A71 near Glebe Farm, and a group of local children
• 003 aerial ropeway bridge over the A71 near Glebe Farm which protected traffic from any falling material
• 004 protective curtain above a farm track (at Newfarm?) with Oakbank bing visible in the background
• 005 Oakbank terminus of the ropeway where shale was tipped into a bunker from which the hopper hutches used to feed the retorts would be filled
• 006 Oakbank terminus of the aerial ropeway and the hopper into which the ropeway buckets were discharged. The retorts and chimneys of Oakbank oil works can be seen beyond this, the viaduct carrying the Caledonian Railway main line is the far right, against a backdrop of the Pentland hills
• 007 view looking towards Oakbank showing the tall pylons used to carry the ropeway across the Linhouse Water in Calder Glen
• 008 view looking towards the chimneys and tanks of Oakbank oil works showing the route of the aerial ropeway across the Linhouse Water in Calder Glen
• 009 view from Oakbank bing looking westwards across the Linhouse water, towards Newfarm
• 010 view from Oakbank terminus of the aerial ropeway looking West towards Newfarm
• 011 detail view of the arrangement at the Oakbank terminus of the ropeway with turning circle and storage hopper. The steelwork is stencilled with the word "Grangemouth" in several places; perhaps shipping instructions