Caterpillar D8R bulldozer

comes in from the cold.

Gough Group commissioned Orly to produce a documentary-style video recording the incredible story of a Caterpillar D8R Bulldozer, taken to the ice when new by the United States Antarctic Program (USAP) in 2004, and returned to New Zealand for a fast turn around operation to complete a ground-up makeover at Gough Group’s Christchurch headquarters.

The Orly crew mounted multiple timelapse cameras throughout the Gough Group facilities to record every aspect of the refurbishment work. Orly crew also made multiple site visits shooting additional footage to enhance the refurbishment story, We then brought all of the footage together in the final video.

The machine was flown up to Christchurch on a Boeing C17 Globemaster. The makeover was carried out by three of Gough’s Christchurch divisions, with the workshop performing the disassembly and inspection, the replacement of the cab, hydraulic hoses, the undercarriage group and the wiring harnesses, the rebuild of track frames/cannons, reassembly, testing and run-up, and painting. The refurbished machine headed back to Antarctica by resupply vessel from Lyttelton just three months. later.

Among other roles, the D8R bulldozer’s job in Antarctica is establishing and maintaining the Williams Field and Pegasus runways at McMurdo Station to keep them open for the vital supply flights from Christchurch that continue for much of the year.