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Glacier National Park Red Buses To Get An Overhaul

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Published Date

December 3, 2018
red buses, glacier national park, national park

Glacier National Park's famed Red Buses will get overhauled this year/Pixabay

For those visiting Glacier National Park, the iconic red buses remain a trip favorite. Black and crimson, shiny, and comfortable, the buses transport their riders back in time. However, even they need some modern upkeep, and park staff begin an extensive rehabilitation project this year.

The White Motor Company Model 706 buses were manufactured between 1936 and 1939, painted the color of ripe mountain ash berries, and originally purchased by the Glacier Park Transportation Company.  The Ford Motor Company donated time and money for the previous red bus rehabilitation, which occurred in 1999.

The rehabilitation will replace the current Ford engines with a Ford 6.2L V8 engine assisted by an electric hybrid system to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. The electric hybrid system will be powered by a battery bank that will charge when the vehicle decelerates including on downhill runs, which are frequent in the park. The buses will be remounted on new Ford chassis retaining the existing 176’ wheelbase, as they were with a previous restoration. Tire size will be expanded from 16’’ to 19.5’’ to approach historical dimensions. The dashboard and gauges will be replaced with historic replicas, and the buses will undergo refinishing, including rust removal and painting using the historic mountain ash color.

President Taft designated Glacier National Park in 1910, making Glacier the 10th unit in the national park system. The red buses have been a signature fixture in the visitor experience for the vast majority of the park’s history. The improvements will ensure that the fleet continues to operate in Glacier National Park for the foreseeable future, with improved safety and serviceability, while retaining the same visitor experience in the park that has existed for over 80 years.

The National Park Service included the rehabilitation as a responsibility in the most recent concession contract that Xanterra Travel Collection was awarded in 2014. Xanterra Travel Collection has selected Legacy Classic Trucks, based in Driggs, Idaho, to do the rehabilitation. Once complete, visitors will once again be able to choose tours that last 2.5-9.5 hours, taking in the beautiful sights and sounds of Glacier National Park.

One recent rider – Steve – says it all in his review on Trip Advisor: “My wife and I recently visited Glacier NP. We took the Red Bus Tour and it was the highlight of our visit. The old restored White Truck Red Buses held 17 guests and had an open top which is open if the weather is agreeable. Thankfully it was while we were there. Our tour guide GLEN was extremely [knowledgeable] about the park, the history, plants, animals, etc. We can't thank him enough for the wonderful experience. Anyone visiting GNP should take this tour. It is worth every penny.”

 

Comments

Always a highlight of visiting Glacier. We've taken several red bus tours. Drivers are friendly and knowledgeable! 


Good for GNP!  Way to keep up with the times and protect our magnificent environment! Love your red bus tours! 


Thank you GNP and Xanterrs!  I love the red busses.  When I grow up, I hope to be a red buss guide.  Looking forward to maximizing efficiency with this new hybrid power train. 


Nothing like running those buses on coal. 

 


ecbuck:
Nothing like running those buses on coal. 

What the hell are you trying to say?  I've read a lot of weird stuff from you, but this kind of tops them all.

This is obviously based off of the same system used in the F-250 Super Duty Hybrid, which never plugs in to charge the traction battery.  The electric traction motor is purely supplemental, and is charged by the gasoline engine and/or regenerative braking.  And the really big deal is that the batteries get charged when braking going downhill, recapturing energy that would normally be lost as heat.

https://news.pickuptrucks.com/2018/04/xl-ford-super-duty-f-250-hybrid-qu...

https://helenair.com/lifestyles/recreation/glacier-national-park-jammer-...


Never been to Glacier, but one movie my kid wanted to see was Disney's Planes: Fire & Rescue.  They had a ficitional national park visited and operated by various motor vehicles and aircraft.  However, I never figured out why the Chief Ranger was "Ranger Jammer".  He wasn't red though.

https://ohmy.disney.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/planes-fire-and-rescu...


Y_P_W - I stand corrected.  I wonder what the payback period will be.

 


ecbuck:

Y_P_W - I stand corrected.  I wonder what the payback period will be.

Likely none.  Can't find anything specific on the current conversion, but the 1999 conversion to propane and natural gas was paid for by Ford and a couple of Glacier Park nonprofits.

https://www.gonomad.com/3416-jammer-joe-at-the-wheel-glacier-park-s-icon...

The Red Buses served as workhorses until an unfortunate overhaul in 1989 installed power steering in a way that put some extra strain on the front end. In 1999, according to the archives of the Glacier Park Foundation, one of the buses lost an axle - fortunately AFTER dropping off its load of passengers - and the Department of Transportation decreed that the fleet was no longer safe and had to be retired. This created a crisis for the park's management and they quickly bought new Dodge vans to replace the Reds. But the experience was not the same and passengers, drivers and residents of the area begged for the return of the original vehicles.

At this point, the Ford Motor Company stepped in and suggested that, though the old White wheel base didn't match any of their chassis, they might be able to "stretch" one of their designs to fit. While the cost of the refurbishing would be significantly less than building new replica buses, it was still a daunting factor, so a partnership was formed between the Ford Motor Co., the Glacier Park Foundation, the Glacier Fund and others to pay for the restoration.


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