Friday 13 June 2014

Expedition Antarctic / Antarctique / Antarctische. 1966.



Expedition Antarctic / Antarctique / Antarctische. 1966.

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In an unassuming barn on the outskirts of a unremarkable Belgian town, lie three Tucker Sno-Cat Type 743s, remnants of the Belgian/Dutch collaborative Antarctic expedition of 1966.

These photos were taken last November, the logo on the side of the wagons was designed by none other than Herge or TinTin fame.

These Tucker wagons serviced the Roi Baudoin Base, established as part of the Belgic/Dutch Antarctic missions of 1957-1967, which fulfilled its role as a geophysical observatory and as an operating base for geographical, glaciological, and geological mapping of the neighboring coastal and mountain areas. After the closure of the base in 1967, three further summer expeditions were sent in cooperation with South Africa, but in 1971 all governmental support for Antarctic research was temporarily halted.

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Pretty constrained on space so the photos are all pretty similar.

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The great hand painted logo and De Keyn paints, who I assume provided the colour scheme. 

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A poor old Peugeot also lives here, alongside some old school diesel generating kit, assumedly associated with the Tuckers. 

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Thanks as always for looking. 




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