Quite an achievement, regardless of the brand of vehicle.
Another Antarctica achievement I found, somewhat along the same topic as this, was how they bring in supplies to the South Pole during the summer months down there.
Using a convoy of Case IH and Caterpillar tracked 4 wheel drive farm tractors, some equipped with bulldozer blades to clear paths, other dragging skids of fuel, housing, supplies of all types, they drive these overland from McMurdo to the South Pole.
To me, it is remarkable how they keep that diesel equipment going in those cold conditions, plus just the amount of fuel they carry in extra large tanks to achieve that distance with minimum refueling.
Case IH photo link, stating some of the changes made to the tractor: link
They were others before them in a Hilux and a Landcruiser. I believe someone in a Tacoma has set as record as well for the Antartic. Tacoma gas engine across the Antartic As well another Icelandic(Must be a specialty)Modifier, Artic Trucks went across Antartica in 1998, they also modified The Hiluxes . The Modified Ford van was was done by another company(Icecool) and did their journey in 2005. Antarctic crossing 1998 Their Journeys
I guess the Toyota Hilux's record is has gone to both the North and South Poles.
* This post was
last
edited 04/02/12 02:35am by RobertRyan *
View edit history
Winter hauling supplies and equipment over frozen land with tractor trains...usually tracked bulldozers...has been done in Northern Canada since the 1930's.
I'm sure it has been happening in other northern countries for about the same period of years.
Necessity is the mother of invention in many cases and in Northern countries...winter and frozen lakes, tundra, land masses is the only time that goods can be transported.
In my province, Manitoba, the only other way to get supplies/equipment in to isolated areas is by plane and that's very expensive, comparatively...also not many landing strips that can carry heavy cargo planes up north.
Nowadays winter roads are made over frozen lakes and land and heavy (class 8) trucks, rather than tractors/bulldozers take much of the supplies/equipment....albeit slowly.
* This post was
edited 04/02/12 08:46am by Lessmore *
This is the vehicle I rode to McMurdo and Little America, escorting cargo and oil tankers to the Antarctic. Cargo offloaded at Little America and transported to the pole. This was when Vivian Fuchs drove across the continent in Ford Tractors!
The ship is the USS Glacier (AGB-4) "Mighty G, follow me"
I give up. I ldon't seem to be able to post a photo.
Lessmore wrote: Winter hauling supplies and equipment over frozen land with tractor trains...usually tracked bulldozers...has been done in Northern Canada since the 1930's.
I'm sure it has been happening in other northern countries for about the same period of years.
Correct My post was about Ford,GM and Chrysler doing something similar with their pickups.i.e. Doing the Darien Gap?in South America
Offline
