Cool Cats

These are images of the workhorse of modern Australian glaciological research in Antarctica, the Caterpillar tractor.

Dozers are often thought of as machines of destruction, but in the context of glaciological research in Antarctica they were facilitators of science and indeed provided critical and life-sustaining support for those who ventured out on the ice.

I've assembled this album of Caterpillar D5 and D7 tractors in action in Antarctica as a tribute to these dependable machines and to the hardy and resourceful diesel mechanics who kept them going. Back in the 80s I lived and worked there for over 2 years, spending a good deal of that time on research traverses deep into the interior of Antarctica. Our lives depended on these machines - literally. They got us there and brought us back, in temperatures of -60C and below, pulling loads of 50 tonnes or more through blizzards and over endless sastrugi, running 16 hours or more a day, every day, for trips sometimes up to 6 months long.

These machines were specially adapted for high altitude and extreme cold. Engines were modified to run on aviation turbine kerosene which unlike distillate remains usable to about -60C. Turbochargers compensated for loss of power due to kerosene fuel and thinner air at high altitude. Wide, low ground pressure tracks were fitted to improve traction in snow and ice, and a wide blade was then necessary to span the wider tracks. Fully enclosed cabins and kerosene fired Webasto heaters provided some small additional comfort for drivers who might be at the controls for 16 hours a day. Engine compartments were completely enclosed with insulating thermal blankets, and the engine sump and cooling system were fitted with electric heating elements to prevent oil and coolant freezing overnight. And every cabin had an escape hatch in the roof for emergency exit in case the tractor encountered a crevasse.