Crash 2!!!
Ok, how many of you thought I was in a second crash when you read the title? Well it couldn’t be further from the truth. Instead I drove Crash 2. The one really great thing about working in the VMF is that you can drive anything on station. All you need to do is say “Yes” when they ask you if you know how to drive something. Then after you get in you just have to figure out how to drive it without letting anyone realize that you have no idea what you are doing. Who could be better qualified at that than Me? I have been on the fringe of reality for years now.
Back to Crash 2, this is the second time I have had to drive a 3000 gallon tanker off road in 2006. The last tanker didn’t have tracks, but that one does go allot faster. Crash 2 stalled on the move from the Ice Runway to Willy Field. It isn’t used to driving that far I guess. And when it stalled the operator was not able to restart it. Enter RJ. I got to go for a nice summer ride out to almost Pegasus during the runway move rush hour. It is not very often that you can be out on a glacier in a traffic jam. While we were diagnosing the CAT engine we got to watch several buildings and fuel tanks getting dragged by us. The most interesting was watching the air traffic tower skidding by.
If your C-17 crashed into the middle of Antarctica, how would you like to see this view?
This is a photo of McMurdo from Pegasus road about 8 miles out. The peak to the right is Ob Hill which is 750’ tall.
Here are a few photos of one of the remaining “Stretch 8’s”. To be more specific it is a 1956 CAT SD8-LGP (Stretch D8 Low Ground Pressure). There are 3 of these left in the fleet in Antarctica and they have been in service since the beginning of the United States Antarctic Program and they haven’t been produced since 1959. To give you a idea of the size of these Bulldozers the each track is 54” wide. That is wider that Jamie or Beth is tall I think.
Here is a Challenger pulling a smaller building. A comparison between new and old technology, the SD8-LGP has 94,000 pounds of pull at the pullbar and the Challenger 95 has 35,202 pounds of pull at the pullbar.
And FYI we did get Crash 2 started and delivered to Willy Field. So all is well.
Until next time.
R.J.
Back to Crash 2, this is the second time I have had to drive a 3000 gallon tanker off road in 2006. The last tanker didn’t have tracks, but that one does go allot faster. Crash 2 stalled on the move from the Ice Runway to Willy Field. It isn’t used to driving that far I guess. And when it stalled the operator was not able to restart it. Enter RJ. I got to go for a nice summer ride out to almost Pegasus during the runway move rush hour. It is not very often that you can be out on a glacier in a traffic jam. While we were diagnosing the CAT engine we got to watch several buildings and fuel tanks getting dragged by us. The most interesting was watching the air traffic tower skidding by.
If your C-17 crashed into the middle of Antarctica, how would you like to see this view?
This is a photo of McMurdo from Pegasus road about 8 miles out. The peak to the right is Ob Hill which is 750’ tall.
Here are a few photos of one of the remaining “Stretch 8’s”. To be more specific it is a 1956 CAT SD8-LGP (Stretch D8 Low Ground Pressure). There are 3 of these left in the fleet in Antarctica and they have been in service since the beginning of the United States Antarctic Program and they haven’t been produced since 1959. To give you a idea of the size of these Bulldozers the each track is 54” wide. That is wider that Jamie or Beth is tall I think.
Here is a Challenger pulling a smaller building. A comparison between new and old technology, the SD8-LGP has 94,000 pounds of pull at the pullbar and the Challenger 95 has 35,202 pounds of pull at the pullbar.
And FYI we did get Crash 2 started and delivered to Willy Field. So all is well.
Until next time.
R.J.
posted by R.J. at 7:09 AM
7 Comments:
You are never going to be totally happy pulling a tear drop trailer cross country after all these 'big toys', not even to spend a month with all us charming folks on the west coast of the 'real world'.
Dawn
I have been with you in a 3,000
gallon tanker, frankly #5 was
fine but I'm not sure I'm game
for this one.
plowing the driveway with the old dodge must seem like childs play.
childs play get it ?
A lime green tanker... what will they come up with next? Well, at least it isn't a Ward. Looks like a lot of fun. Great photos!
-Mike
I don't care what you're driving in Antarctica. I'm still not going to let you drive my car you get back to Western New York.
No Brian it is much easier here. I haven't yet, but I will get a chance to drive a D8 dozer before I leave. Not to mention the road grader that I have driven. Even I am scared.
And Beth I am going to road race school for two days in New Zealand. So I will be even more ready to run yours when I get back.
Love the dozer pix! Looks like you're having fun. WCVFC news: Billy Fire Chief, Higgi 1st assistant, Jason 2nd assistant - Bob is now recording secretary and did not stay for the post election party. Got new xbox 360's with 8 wireless controllers. Halo is new game on the 360's. Fantastic only wants to play "Gears of War" cause he's the only one that knows the game and he wins all the time. Gears does not compare to halo.
cowboy
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