Today I visited the heavy machine shop to visit with the mechanics and see what type of heavy machines they have here in McMurdo. Heavy machines are classified as any piece of machinery over 3000 lbs. In the heavy machine shop they have all the tools and materials needed to repair, fabricate, and design pieces of machinery used by the scientists or in support of the scientists. It was really cool to see all the different machines...some were gigantic. If you were a mechanical or electrical engineer it would be an incredible experience to work in the heavy machine shop. The engineers are asked to solve problems and design machinery that can be used in extremely cold temperatures. If you have ever watched the show on the History Channel called Modern Marvels their jobs are a lot like that. They are asked to design things that scientists need in the field in extreme cold conditions and they have to be very creative. When I talked to the foreman about what they looked at when hiring new engineers, he said that a Mechanical or Electrical Engineering degree is required and that experience with diesel engines and advanced diagnostics is recommended.
This is one of the shops where engineers design and fabricate new machinery to be used by scientists in the field.
There are two separate windows where the engineers and mechanics can get tools and parts.
Besides designing and fabricating new equipment, the heavy machine shop also needs mechanics to service and repair the existing heavy machines. To be a mechanic in the heavy machine shop, you need at least 2 years experience or 2 years of technical training. An apprenticeship or associates degree also helps.
Three of the mechanics are working on a very large engine.
This gigantic tractor is a traversing tractor used to transport heavy materials from McMurdo all the way to the South Pole.
This thirty-year-old tractor has lasted several years in Antarctica and is getting its engine block repaired.
This tractor is also used to traverse across long distances of ice. They redesigned the suspension system to make it wider to stabilize it as it travels across the uneven ice.
While visiting the heavy machine shop I also had the opportunity to meet and interview three different mechanics. Here is what they had to say about their jobs here in Antarctica.
David is a heavy machinery mechanic in the heavy machine shop.
David Burch - Cambridge, North Island, New Zealand
David works to repair and service the heavy machinery and he specifically focuses on their hydraulic systems. Being from New Zealand, he learned a lot about Antarctica in school and he had an immediate fascination with the continent. When he was doing his apprenticeship in diesel engines his mentor motivated him to apply to be a mechanic at Scott's Base (New Zealand's research station). He didn't get the job, but they sent his application to the Americans and they hired him. He has spent two summers on the ice at McMurdo and South Pole stations. He loves the travel opportunities that being a mechanic offers him. Engines are the same everywhere so if you have the knowledge and passion you could go anywhere in the world...even Antarctica.
Justin works on the tires of the heavy machinery and does their preventative maintenance.
Justin Dolan - Fort Smith, AR
This is Justin's third season in Antarctica and his goal is to spend at least five seasons. His cousin worked in McMurdo before him and encouraged him to apply to work at the station. His first season he was hired as a GA (General Assistant) in the heavy machine shop and swept the floors and assisted the mechanics. Justin had truck experience from a job he had in the states, but he wanted to do what the mechanics did so he worked really hard and received onsite training and he came back the following year as a mechanic. Now his specialty is preventive maintenance on the vehicles and he is the tire guy. He enjoys being here because of the people and the music scene. There are a variety of musicians here and he plays in a band with his cousins.
Laurance is a light vehicle mechanic at the heavy machine shop.
Laurance Turner - Newport News, Virginia
Laurance's specialty is light vehicles. As a kid Laurance worked in his family's auto repair store and he loved to take things apart and put them back together again. His high school offered an automotive class and co-op with automotive dealerships so he jumped at the chance to work with cars. After high school he did a two-year associates degree in applied automotive sciences at a community college. Once he had a degree, he worked fulltime at a dealership servicing cars and then at an airport working on the fuel trucks and baggage carriers. During that time he saw a video about Antarctica on U-Tube and knew that he had to go there. He searched the internet for a way to apply for a job down here, saw a job for a mechanic, and he was on his way. This is his first season on the ice and he finds working here much more rewarding than working for a dealership because the goal of his job is to support scientists not just make money. He also appreciates working with a variety of different vehicles because he never knows what he is going to be working on next.
I would like to thank David, Justin, and Laurance for taking time out of their Saturday to meet with me and tell me about their jobs. I would also like to thank their foreman, Dave, for setting it all up for me and giving me a tour of the shop. Stay tuned for my next journal from the Dry Valleys. Yeah! We will finally be in the field!