Tractor Train Traverse (Dec '68)
We had been told by our bosses in London that the overland Shackleton trip
was "off". We sent telegrams and pleaded and argued our case until we were
allowed to mount the expedition as a route proving reconnaissance - after
all with the scientists flying to the Shacks, what else was their for the
spare GAs and Diesel Mechs to do? This song was added to the official
report to BAS head office on completion of the highly successful trip. The
tune is Pete Seeger's "Spaceman".
The bosses said the Shackletons were well beyond our range: They did
But preparations went ahead in case their minds should change: And they
did
Four tractors and twelve sledges and a twenty five ton load
One hundred drums of fuel which we hoped would not explode
Bright marker flags we staked en route to show the homeward road
We did, we did, we did
At fifteen hundred revs we clocked up two miles every hour: We
did
We could not ask for speed when our tractors gave us power And they
did
We trundled on across the high plateau both day and night
Our objective, those mountains gave us not one single sight
We thought we saw them last year, now we hoped that we were right
We did, too right, we did.
Our fuel quickly dwindled as we depoted it on route It did
So when the loads were light enough, two tractors went to boot They
did
Just one minor problem was the glacier in the gap
Between us and those mountains which are not on any map
We thanked our stars that there was no crevassing on that lap
We did, we prayed, we did
Just three weeks after leaving base we spied a mountain top We did
With mountains now in sight we drove without single stop We did
Five hundred miles we travelled on a route not run before
Now we had reached the Shackletons our aim was to explore
But soon we had to turn for home, five hundred miles in store
We did, quite sad, we did
Now London said that what we'd done was valuable work They did
But we agreed that it's the kind of skive we would not shirk We
did
Eight weeks upon a holiday with peace and lots of sleep
Though we were counting fuel drums instead of counting sheep
The drivers woke at intervals their direction to keep
They did, sometimes, they did!
Notes...
"Two tractors went to boot" - this was a planned logistical move not an
accident. Fuel was not only used heavily in the thirsty tractors, it was
also depoted on route for the return journey. Hence when the loads were
sufficiently reduced only two tractors were needed, the spare two being
left behind to be collected on the return. By this time loads were so light
that the spare vehicles could be carried on sledges and towed thus reducing
fuel needs even further.
Concerning the waking up of drivers, there were too amusing incidents on
the Shackleton trips: It was often easier to maintain direction if you
placed your tractor in the tracks of one in front as it seemed to follow as
in tram lines. Chris Sykes fell asleep driving a following muskeg.
Unfortunately the leading 'keg stopped. When Chris woke up, his tractor
was climbing onto the rear sledge of the lead train. Dad Etchells also
fell asleep but his International Harvester had a distinct leftward bias.
He was seen making a positive turn towards Vostok and quite out of catching
range. Eventually just as we were seriously questioning what we should do
to alert him, he woke up and arced gently back on course as though the
whole manoeuvre had been intentional.