A Valmet tractor in the Antarctic

19.04.2004

During its fifteen years of service the tractor has been used as a snowplough, for pulling loads and for lifting barrels, among countless other uses.
It goes without saying that the operating environment in the Antarctic can be rather harsh. A blizzard, for example, once blew away the tractor’s front loader, and another time the oil sump broke during heavy use. The engine itself has been overhauled and maintained by hand by the researchers at the research station.
"We have used the tractor around the research station mainly for snow work and moving supplies. The front loader is particularly useful for the daily task of moving fuel containers. The tractor was also a huge help when the research station was renovated and expanded,” says Henrik Sandler, who leads the Finnarp expedition.
The Antarctic station is manned during the summer season only, in other words when it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Summer in the Antarctic means ‘mild’ temperatures of around minus-five centigrade, and the sun shines around the clock. In the winter the sun disappears for several months and the temperature can easily drop to minus-fifty degrees.
“It is not so cold here as one would think. Conditions in the summer are quite comfortable. Even in the winter it is relatively warm here compared to the centre of the continent, where temperatures can be as low as minus-70 or 80 degrees. The good thing is that there is absolutely no moisture or humidity here because of the freezing temperatures, so the machinery does not rust,” says Sandler.
The Finnish research station sits atop a rock shelf that measures around five kilometres by two kilometres in size. A Swedish research station is situated nearby. The distance to the coast is around 180 kilometres during the summer, and there is an airstrip near the station for transportation by air. The Valmet tractor is only used around the research station, as further away there is the risk of cracks in the ice, sudden storms and soft snow.

Stormy environment

Antarctic storms are particularly dangerous. Strong winds can pick up in just a few hours and last for an entire week. In the midst of one of these blizzards visibility can be less than one metre. There are stories of explorers who have perished in these storms when they have become lost crawling from one tent to another just a few metres away. A surprise storm can even be a serious threat for smaller expeditions if it lasts a week and food and water supplies are insufficient.
“There is plenty of snowploughing to be done around the research station after one of these blizzards. The snow here is very hard, almost like a cross between snow and ice. Our tractor really has its work cut out for itself moving the snowdrifts that can pile up many metres high,” says Sandler.
The Antarctic winds are so strong that they once carried away the tractor’s front loader, which ended up badly bent on the rocks hundreds of metres away. The expedition members were fortunately able to salvage this vital implement and bang it back into shape.

Electricity generated by Sisu Diesel engines

The Finnarp expedition also employs two Sisu Diesel 20-kilowatt generators, which supply the research station with electricity. If weather permits, power is also generated by a windmill and solar panel. One of the two generators is on around the clock for three days at a stretch, after which the other generator takes over.
“These Sisu Diesel generators have been absolutely terrific and extremely reliable. They have been used for around 5000 hours now and were overhauled here two years ago,” says Sandler.
The fuel used at the station is A1-class jet fuel, which is easy to store at low temperatures. This fuel is used to power the generators, the tractor, the Sisu-Nasu and Hägglund Bandvagn caterpillar vehicles, for heating and, of course, for refuelling planes and helicopters. In addition, the expedition is supplied by Finnish oil company Fortum with a special jet fuel additive that improves its cold storage and performance qualities. The fuel is transported to the Antarctic aboard ships in barrels, which are brought to the shore at the edge of the ice.

Engine overhauled with basic tools

The research station’s Valmet tractor was in heavy use when new, causing the oil sump to break under heavy stress when pulling a heavy load in the early 1990s. As there was no trained mechanic at the station, it took a long time before the tractor was repaired, even though there were enough spare parts.
“In 1999 the expedition’s physician Arttu Lahdenperä began repairing the tractor at the end of his assignment to the Antarctic. I was also leaving, so after packing my gear I went to help out,” remembers geologist Saku Vuori.
The work was done inside away from the wind. The tractor’s front end was lifted up using jacks, winches, logs and anything else that could be found around the station. Eventually the team managed to lift the tractor high enough and secure enough to go underneath to begin repairs.
“Neither of us had any training or real experience in this kind of work. Arttu had once upon a time changed the transmission in a Saab 96, and I had fixed the odd moped as a kid!” says Vuori.
Changing the oil sump was a relatively easy operation. As they did not find a gasket that would fit, they used some mass instead to make a seal. The biggest challenge was reconnecting the drive shaft to the conductor barrel that had accidentally come off the front axle. In the end they managed to do this by heating the conductor barrel with hot air until it expanded to the right size.
Once the last nuts and bolts had been tightened they refilled the tank with fuel, recharged the battery and primed the cylinders with a bit of oil. To their disappointment the starter motor showed no signs of life, so the men had to find new spare parts and try again. This time the engine turned over, coughed a few times and then started up.
“We were overjoyed. We smiled so hard that we could have eaten crisp bread sideways! The other expedition members gasped in astonishment as we drove around the station with cigars in our mouths honking the horn!” remembers Vuori.

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