Jeff's SAK Pages - SAK Rebuilt!
Despite work connected with the SAK reconstruction starting on a large scale in the winter of 2005-6, it was at first entirely concentrated on the works for a new road to bypass the Hilton Road level-crossing. During the winter months nothing much else appeared to be happening and since I don't drive past the route of the SAK daily (or even weekly), I failed to notice the REAL start of the SAK rebuild work in (I think!) the early spring of 2006. However it wasn't too long before I got to hear about it, and started to film the progress with my camcorder, making this section of my SAK pages possible.
As this section is quite big, the progress reports, as well as having a title of sorts (if fully captioned), are numbered and carry the date(s) the pictures were taken so that it is easy to keep track when viewing them.
Although at some stages of the rebuild I got behind with adding new reports and even more seriously behind with the captioning of the pictures after I had put the basic (uncaptioned) reports live, the final version of each report is as fair and honest a reflection of events as I saw them during the rebuild as I can provide, even if the final versions of the captions in some reports were typed at a much later date than the pictures they describe! I haven't systematically gone back through these reports either to correct minor inconsistancies in terminology and with place names, although if anyone finds a major mistake of this kind please let me know and I'll have another look at it!
First Look At The Kincardine-Alloa Rebuild
On 14th & 16th April 2006 I went out for my first look
at the work on the eastern half of the SAK rebuild. Here is my
SAK Progress Report 1
Sunny Trip From Kincardine To Blackgrange
Having taken a sunny afternoon
off work on 11th May 2006 I went for a more detailed look at the entire SAK
worksite, but only made it from Kincardine to Blackgrange! Here is my
SAK Progress Report 2.
Joined up Rail!
A progress report to show you a single picture!
Have a quick glance at
SAK Progress Report 3.
East Of Eden? No! West Of Blackgrange!
Amazingly by the start of June
2006 I had hardly visited the western half of the SAK since reconstruction
began. So I took 2/6/06 off work to do just that. Here is my
SAK Progress Report 4.
Evening Observations!
Checking up on the SAK is
becoming a habit, and I keep finding new things to report! Here is my
SAK Progress Report 5. SAK Pointwork!
At last - completed trackwork! However it
wasn't plain track I discovered had been assembled on Friday 7/7/06. Here is my
SAK Progress Report 6. A Visit To Alloa & Kennet
Foundations, drainage, road construction and bridge
repairs! The scale of work required before track can be laid on the SAK is evident in
SAK Progress Report 7 (19/7/06). Stirling, Blackgrange & Cambus
Much work on the SAK trackbed, but no track to be seen
(yet) in SAK Progress Report 8 (26/7/06). An August Evening Out!
I caught up with a welding machine at Clackmannan,
and all the other progress in the Alloa area in
SAK Progress Report 9 (23/8/06). Welding In August Sunshine!
A short report on the welder at work in Clackmannan in
SAK Progress Report 10 (31/8/06). Tracklaying At Last!
The start of tracklaying at the Stirling end of the
SAK caught me by surprise, but it's never too late to catch up! Here is
SAK Progress Report 11 (13/9/06). Rapid Progress On The Western SAK!
An SAK ballast train? A double track section over the
Forth Viaduct? Track eastward to Cambus? All to be found in
SAK Progress Report 12 (27/10/06). New track at Kincardine
I visited Kincardine to catch up with progress there,
and found yet more new track in
SAK Progress Report 13 (28/10/06). Crane, Train, & Tracklayer!
Only one of each, and they weren't at work, but
I wasn't complaining! See them in
SAK Progress Report 14 (4/11/06). 'Hunting The Snark'!
I went out to try and see the Tracklayer at
work on the Eastern SAK, but had a little difficulty finding it! My epic hunt (and a few other
things) are shown in
SAK Progress Report 15 (8/11/06). Track In Clackmannan
A short feature to complete the story of the
tracklaying on the eastern part of the SAK in
SAK Progress Report 16 (11/11/06). Bridging The Gap!
The second largest bridge on the route of the
SAK had been at Helensfield, but had been removed in the early stages of the SAK
reconstruction. A new bridge was needed, and you can see sections of
it being lifted into place, along with other progress in the Alloa area, in
SAK Progress Report 17 (16/12/06). Track Returns To Alloa
From the west or the east though? Actually... both!
The first progress report from 2007 catches up with tracklaying progress at both ends of town.
Have a look at
SAK Progress Report 18 (17/1/07). 'Planting' ballast!
Tracklaying (more or less) as it happens, plus
the trackbed in the middle of Alloa getting covered in ballast in
SAK Progress Report 19 (27/1/07). Concrete Sleepers And A Tamper
My first trip to the SAK in a lunch hour saw not
only some more new track, but my first sighting of a tamper on the SAK. Details in
SAK Progress Report 20 (29/1/07). The Last Point?
My second lunchtime visit, the day after the first,
and what may be the last SAK point is (nearly) assembled. But that wasn't all I saw and filmed, as can be
seen in
SAK Progress Report 21 (30/1/07). The Ends (Nearly) Meet!
The last SAK point was complete, the tracklaying was nearly
finished through Alloa, and I saw a parked tamper from four different angles for good measure.
See all of this in
SAK Progress Report 22 (31/1/07). First SAK 'Train' Through Alloa?
On this trip I found the track finally completed
through Alloa, and evidence of it having been used at once. See what I mean in
SAK Progress Report 23 (1/2/07). Concrete Sleepers Galore!
But no rails on them! The end of the SAK tracklaying
comes in sight in
SAK Progress Report 24 (8/2/07). Track In the Alloa Station Platform?
Not quite! But rails had been put in place as can be seen in
SAK Progress Report 25 (10/2/07). Another Monday Lunchtime!
Another short report from a lunchtime visit to Alloa in
SAK Progress Report 26 (12/2/07). The End Of The (Platform) Line!
Track all the way up the platform siding and buffers
attached for good measure in
SAK Progress Report 27 (17/2/07). Two Closed Roads
I discovered that the Hilton Road level-crossing had been
closed before the new link road to replace it was opened. See the pictures that prove it in
SAK Progress Report 28 (3/3/07). Part Completed Bridge!
I went for a look at a new footbridge at Alloa West Junction
before it was finished in
SAK Progress Report 29 (10/3/07). Alloa West & Central
I checked on the progress of the new footbridge and re-visited
the centre of Alloa in
SAK Progress Report 30 (3/4/07). Meet 'Robert McAlpine'!
Not the person, but the tamper! I managed to film it 'up close
and personal' at Causewayhead in
SAK Progress Report 31 (10/4/07). Signs Of The Times?
Well signals on the SAK in central Alloa actually!
Pictures of them in
SAK Progress Report 32 (8/5/07). SAK Road Trip!
I go for a spin on the new SAK Link Road in
SAK Progress Report 33 (17/5/07). Overhead View!
I do my first filming from the new footbridge at
Alloa West Junction in
SAK Progress Report 34 (25/5/07). Loop View
Views of the nearly completed works east of Alloa in
SAK Progress Report 35 (28/5/07). Go East!
A sunny evening survey of most of the
western SAK between Causewayhead and Alloa in
SAK Progress Report 36 (1/6/07). Three Stations In Alloa!
The (site of the) old one, the (unfinished)
new one, and... the roundabout! An update from the center of Alloa in
SAK Progress Report 37 (13/6/07). Framed!
Work on the new Alloa station building starts in
SAK Progress Report 38 (15/6/07). Fun In The Sun!
Well I enjoyed filming the SAK between
Blackgrange And Alloa Station on a sunny summer evening anyway! The resulting pictures
can be seen in
SAK Progress Report 39 (11/7/07). Station-ary Progress! (Part 1)
A short update on the progress at the
new Alloa station in
SAK Progress Report 40 (1/8/07). Station-ary Progress! (Part 2)
A second short update on the new Alloa
station in
SAK Progress Report 41 (9/8/07). Station-ary Progress! (Part 3)
And a third short update on the new Alloa
station in
SAK Progress Report 42 (6/9/07). Station-ary Progress! (Part 4)
The fourth, and last(!) short update from
2007 on the new Alloa Station, this time with progress on the building, in
SAK Progress Report 43 (10/10/07). Inside The Fences!
On 18th December I got invited on
an official tour of the SAK! Find out how, and see what I saw that day, in
SAK Progress Report 44 (18/12/07). Signals In The Mist...
On a freezing cold and foggy morning
in January 2008 I went filming red signals in Alloa in
SAK Progress Report 45 (12/1/08). The Scaffolding Comes Off
My first views of the new Alloa Station
building after the scaffolding is removed, plus views of the SAK in the Kincardine area in
SAK Progress Report 46 (1/2/08). What A Difference A Day Makes!
See how a shiver of snow can make all the
difference in
SAK Progress Report 47 (2/2/08). Barriers!
Level-crossing progress, and more
signalling news in
SAK Progress Report 48 (23/2/08). Last Minute Surprise!
A strange turn of events at the new
Alloa Station occurred at the end of February 2008, but to find out what, visit
SAK Progress Report 49 (1/3/08). A Long Days Journey!
Just before the SAK was due to be
connected into the national rail network, I spent over 5 hours taking pictures
from Stirling right through to Kincardine. See the best of them in
SAK Progress Report 50 (14/3/08). Click
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These pages are owned and maintained by Jeffray Wotherspoon. The storage
space for these pages is provided by the University Of Stirling, but it
is in no way responsible for the contents of these pages. Please email me at
jeff.wotherspoon@stir.ac.uk if you have any questions, comments, problems etc.