Today I finished the final part of my Hagglunds training. The driving test!
I successfully failed to run down any canes on the road, and completed all of the required manueaveures to demonstrate my ability to operate the machine around a range of obstacles and over different terrain without issue. My many hours spent in snow groomers has definately come in handy.
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| Having an unspeakable amount of fun driving this amazing machine. Photo: Mick Russell |
The Hagglunds Bandvagn (BV206) are our all terrain over snow vehicles, that are used on Station to traverse across ice, soft snow, and even sea ice (although not here at Casey! more on that later). They have a front and rear compartment. The front seats 4 people and the rear has various configurations from a tray and davit, to a stretcher rack to a fire fighting pod. The Haggs do have bench seats in the back, but it would be a rough trip for any length of time bouncing along on the wooden benches.
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| Driving the Green Hagg on the A-line. Photo: Mick Russell |
Originally designed for use by the Swedish army as troop carriers for snowy and boggy terrain, they have two articulated units and 4 independently driven tracks, powered by a Cummings or Mercedes engine via an automatic tansmission and transfer case. They have a range of about 250kms depending on speed and terrain. The Swedes designed them to fit in 6 troops in the front and 11 in the rear. We expeditioners obvioulsy need out personal space, usually taking a max of 4 per Hagg!
They are also fully amphibious with a speed of approximately 4.5 km/hour in the water, but we don't operate them in water (refer earlier comment about sea ice and Casey).
To reach the huts in our Station operating area, we can travel by Hagg, Quad bike or ski/snowshoe. For longer trips, particulalry in the middle of winter the Haggs are the preferred way to travel to limit the risk of exposure to travelling expeditioners.
The Haggs are also used for getting equipment around Station into areas that are not accessible by the "unstoppable" 4wd Toyota Hilux utes.
Our Hagg fleet comprises the fighteningly innovatively named Red Search and Rescue (SAR) Hagg, Blue Hagg, Green Hagg, Yellow Hagg, and we have a Fire Hagg which stays tucked away in the emergency services building all loaded up like a fire truck.
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| Green Hagg parked up into the wind back on Station. Photo Jacque Comery |
They are fitted with GPS and radar, VHF radio and a spot tracker. They are also exceptionally noisy, hence we all wear a set of cans (a headset with microphone) so that we can talk to each other and VNJ Casey radio as well.
Well, I am now vehicle inducted so can get out and about and start toexplore a little more widely. I look forward to posting more photos from out and about in the Station area in the very near future.
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| Hagg driving is fun! Photo: Mick Russell |
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| View from the driver seat. Photo: Jacque Comery |
