Thread: Antarctica and Tractors

What do you reckon stallie?
Pan Am Hosties and all--

Ref; This week at Mawson: 21 February 2014 — Australian Antarctic Division

The Pioneer, big brother to the iconic Noddy of Casey fame, roared into life. Years of constant battering by extreme weather have taken their toll, and most expeditioners refuse to go near it. The wise man of Mawson, the Grand Mechanical Guru himself imparted his wisdom. These sagacious words were expressed through a long grey beard, "You drive it, you fix it! That's all I'm telling you!"

The pride of the Mawson fleet (Photo: Jose Campos)

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Ref; BBC News - Antarctic: Where 'zombies' thrive and shipwrecks are preserved

Ernest Shackleton's famous ship, the Endurance, which he had to abandon in 1915 on his ill-fated Antarctic expedition, is probably still in very good condition on the ocean floor.

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Originally Posted by wrinklearthur

Ref; This week at Mawson: 21 February 2014 — Australian Antarctic Division



The pride of the Mawson fleet (Photo: Jose Campos)

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that looks interesting, kinda like my current lego project
any more details or pictures availible?
thanks
Hay Ewe

Originally Posted by Hay Ewe

that looks interesting, kinda like my current lego project
any more details or pictures availible?
thanks
Hay Ewe

Ref; Nodwell and Foremost Pioneer tracked vehicles — Australian Antarctic Division

Nodwell and Foremost Pioneer tracked vehicles

The Nodwell is Canadian in origin and is the largest of the rubber tracked vehicles in use at Casey. It can accommodate up to 6 people whilst the cargo tray can carry loads of up to 4 tonnes.
Towing capacity is limited because of its rubber tracks, but the Nodwell can haul loads of up to 3 tonnes on suitable sledges.

The Nodwell is powered by a Caterpillar 6 cylinder, turbo after-cooled diesel engine, and transmits power to the tracks through an Allison MT 654 transmission. It is of cab/tray configuration and is also fitted with a hydraulic telescoping cargo crane.


The Nodwell is used specifically to support scientific and other field programmes. It is not a general usage vehicle. Because of the complexity, a mechanic or suitably experienced operator must always accompany the vehicle on any journey.

A Foremost Pioneer, a similar tracked vehicle, is used at Mawson. However it has a smaller cab which can carry a maximum of three people. It is not used for any long distance field work, but primarily for cargo work in support of air operations.

Ref; This week at Mawson: 21 February 2014 — Australian Antarctic Division









http://www.safetyoneinc.com/specsheets/pdf/NOD_RN_1.PDF
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Happy birthday to Captain Robert Falcon Scott who was born on this day (6 June) in 1868 - here he is skiing in October 1911. (Reference: P2005/5/563)



Scott (at the head of the table) celebrates his 43rd birthday at camp on 6 June 1911.


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Ref; Antarctica Station Housing 13 People Loses Power in Dead of Winter

Antarctica Station Housing 13 People Loses Power in Dead of Winter.



Antarctica is currently in the depth of its long winter season, with temperatures plunging to nearly minus-67 degrees Fahrenheit, hurricane-force winds and lack of sunlight. This is precisely the wrong time of year for an Antarctic outpost to lose electrical and heating power, but that worrisome scenario playing out at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) Halley Station on the edge of the south Atlantic Ocean, where 13 people are currently stationed.

IMAGE: SAM BURRELL, BRITISH ANTARCTIC SURVEY/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Written by Andrew Freedman.

BAS spokewoman Linda Capper told Mashable that all 13 station staff — including a chef, a doctor, mechanics, an electrician and several electronics engineers — are "safe and in good health." -------
"The power is up and the heating is back on, but it's not back to full capacity at the moment, so we've stopped all our science monitoring and data transfer apart from meteorological work to give us weather forecasts," Capper said. She described the lengthy power outage as a "very tense period for everyone."

“It’s looking good, but it’s still quite early days,” Capper said.

The outage started on July 30, when "a major technical issue resulted in the station losing its electrical and heating supply for 19 hours," according to a BAS statement.

Workers are preparing to move to other modules of the research station if the power goes out again, according to Twitter reports from those currently living at the station. "Contingency plans for alternative accommodation on site are in place and ancillary buildings are being made ready in case of a further power-down," said BAS officials in a statement.

The BAS waited seven days to make a press announcement about the mechanical problems because there was only one satellite phone available to talk to the crew, and it took time for staff to reach out to family members to let them know their relatives were OK, Capper said.

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I was looking at some pictures of this station all the modules, wheres the garage?