| Fergusons at the South Pole: 
Lynda
with the Little "Red" Fergy at the Banner Lane museum
TEA 20 - South Pole Expedition
(text frrom a wall display accompanying the
exhibit)
Three TEA20 Tractors accompanied New
Zealander, Sir Edmund Hilary on his historic 1200 mile trip to the South Pole in 1957/58.
Recently fully restored, this was the lead machine - pet name "Sue"
THe Tractors had to operate in sub-zero
tempearatures but were neverthelesss virtually standard machines, proving once again the
amazing durability and versatility of Ferguson engineering.
To protect against the harsh conditions,
the radiator was filled with 80% Glycol. Special oils and lubricants, together with heavy
duty batteries and pure rubber tyres were used. Flexible tracks were fitted to cope with
the snow and ice. If you look inside the cab you will see there is no Steering Wheel, the
direction of travel was controlled via the brakes operated by two simple levers.
Because Antartic air is so clean, there was
no need either for an air cleaner. With altitutes sometimes reaching 1200 ft (?) and
consequently less oxygen available for combustion, the removal of the air cleaner also
enabled the carburettor to "breathe" more easily and hence aid engine
performance.
Although the tractors arrived in the
Antartic in their normal grey livery, they were painted red to make them more visible to
spotter planes tracking the expedition.
In a grateful cable to Banner Lane, Sir
Edmund praised the magnificent performance of the Ferguson machines. "It was their
extreme reliability that made our trip to the pole possible" he wrote.
Report and Photographs by Phil Homer, Nov 2002
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