Toboggan failures strand parties

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32775, 27 November 1971, Page 18

Toboggan failures strand parties

After a week stranded 10 miles from their Antarctic base with broken-down motor toboggans, two groups of New Zealanders working 350 miles north of Scott Base are now expected to have replacement transmission parts air-dropped to them.

The men are members of a Victoria University of Wellington party led by Dr M. Laird, of Christchurch. They are studying geology and 'volcanics in the Evans Neve area, working from a base camp they have set up there. About a week ago two of the men, with one toboggan, headed north from their base, while the other two took another toboggan and headed south, leaving one spare toboggan at the base. When both toboggans were about 10 miles from base, and 20 miles apart, both had clutch faliure—the two failures occurring within an hour of so of each other.

lin the party are Dr P. Andrews, of Christchurch, Mr P. Kyle, of Victoria University of Wellington, and Mr P. Jennings, of Australia.

The toboggans, which are 6001 b 25 horsepower vehicles driven by air-cooled engines and designed to pull a 15001 b sledge load, were completely overhauled before the start of this season.

In seven years of using this type of toboggan in the Antarctic, New Zealand parties have not previously had clutch failures.

The two parties were in radio communication wtih each other and with Scott Base, but spare clutch parts, not needed before, were not immediately available. As the weather in the area was very good, and the men had food and supplies sufficient for about three weeks, it was decided they should stay with the toboggans instead of walking back to their base.

The men in the field parties are trained in the repair of the toboggans and have the appropriate tools—they will probably be mobile again within an hour of receiving the spares.

When they return to their base, they will eheck the third toboggan to see if its clutch shows any signs of impending failure. And when they resume field work, they will travel together, and not in two pairs.

As well as Dr Laird, those