How do you keep a tractor running in the Antarctic at -40 degrees Celcius?

Andy Spearey had that responsibility and his is a fascinating story from England!

He was raised near the small town of Calne in the county of Wiltshire, in southern England. As a kid he hung around an IH dealership that restored old tractors. His parents were farmers. The dealer even owned a Titan and many from around the war years. 

He then worked there as an apprentice, took college training courses, got a job in New Zealand and while there saw an advertisement for a tractor mechanic to repair, service and operate machines in the Antarctic. He took the job.  His responsibility was to repair and maintain International IHBTD8 dozers.

The D8’s had extended track frames (6 rollers), wide track plates and big insulated cabs. They were used down to -40 degrees Celsius at times. 

The dozers did not have block heaters, fuel filters or other starting assistance. Using the standard glow plugs and running on aviation kerosine they would start down to minus 35 Celcius but needed constant attention to keep them running. 

These old machines were then replaced by TD8B series 11 dozers. Those models used D239 engines and power shift transmissions. To quote Andy, “They were good dozers but swine to start.”

The history of IH crawlers in the Antarctic is a story in itself. Just the task of transporting them there to begin with was a major undertaking. Sometimes they were used to pull sledges on 1000 mile trips.

After 18 months in that sub-zero climate Spearey became plant manager for British Antarctic Survey and worked with them for 21 years. Following that he created his own company rebuilding tractors and then building armored land-mine clearing machines. 

All the while he has kept his first tractor in the now-huge collection. As a teenager he had been given an early Farmall M with a bad engine that no one wanted. He rebuilt the engine and kept it on the home farm.  All through the years his collection grew. A 1938 International 10-20 that has been in his family since new is in the collection. 

An early B-250 (serial # 658) joined the lineup. Then the first of his newer models was purchased, a 5288, one of the few of that US model that made it to the UK. 

He had a good friend whose father had been a service engineer for IH Great Britain and had accumulated a large collection. The friend died suddenly and Andy bought that large collection. A lot of early machines were in that group, including a 1937 International type M stationary hay press (baler). It had been bought new locally, always kept inside and in good condition. He still demonstrates it at events throughout the year.

Next came a beautifully restored Scout II, with a 345 V8. Then he acquired a 1980 Turbo diesel Scout that had been on an oil project in Liberia. Others in his tractor collection include a TD6, T6 and T20 crawlers, Farmall Cub, Farmall A250, 414, 434, 248, 3434 and 2525C forklift.

Equipment other than tractors are a 62 combine, Little Genius #8 plow, hay crimper, #46 baler, and a Cub Cadet. Many in the collection were built by International Harvest Great Britain.

I’ll close this column with a quote from Spearey: “There was a time when If I saw anything with an IH trademark for sale I bought it. I’m a bit more selective now!”

Paul Wallem was raised on an Illinois dairy farm. He spent 13 years with corporate IH in domestic and foreign assignments. He resigned to own and operate two IH dealerships. He is the author of THE BREAKUP of IH and SUCCESSES & INDUSTRY FIRSTS of IH. See all his books on www.PaulWallem.com and email your comments to pwallem@aol.com