On the Road Again Glacier National Park’S Red Buses
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Amy B. Vanderbilt On the Road Again Glacier National Park’s Red Buses n the early 20th century, most visitors ferred to tour in their own cars. The buses faded to national parks arrived by train and from all the national parks, except Glacier. then toured the parks on horseback or The “Reds” and the Sun Road by stagecoach. As motor vehicles The buses survived in Glacier because of becameI more common, more visitors starting the Going-to-the-Sun Road (Sun Road). Prior to arriving in their own cars and buses replaced the opening of the 50-mile trans-Continental horses as the means to explore the parks. The Divide road in 1933, the only access to Glacier’s style and type of these buses varied from park to pristine high country was by horseback or on park, and by the mid-1930s the National Park foot. The Sun Road was acclaimed for its beauti- Service decided to standardize park-touring ful scenery and daring engineering, but many buses. people feared the breathtaking drop along the Specifications were developed, and buses road and found it hard to sightsee while driving. from all major manufacturers were evaluated. The Red Buses, or “Reds”, were introduced in The winning proposal came from the White 1936-37 and quickly became the most popular Motor Company of Cleveland, OH. Its buses way to experience the Sun Road. Everyone rode were designed by Count Alexis de Sakhoffsky, a in them — including Clark Gable, Carol famous industrial stylist of the time, and featured Lombard, William Randolph Hearst, and, more a rollback canvas convertible top. Each row of recently, then-Vice President George H. Bush, seats had its own door, and every window rolled the Queen of the Netherlands, and Robin Red Bus Number 99, the 17-pas- down. Several hundred of the buses were built, Williams. The Reds provided a memorable expe- senger buses with each park making minor changes in config- rience to every visitor and a reminder of when feature remov- uration and adopting its own color scheme. adventure travel was conducted with style and able canvas tops that can be rolled Yellowstone’s buses were yellow, of course. The grace. back for sight- fleet for Glacier was painted a brilliant red and The Reds were also called “jammer buses,” seeing across the black. The buses served the parks (Bryce Canyon, a reference to the days when they had standard Continental Divide. Photo Glacier, Grand Canyon, Mt. Rainer, Yellowstone, transmissions and the drivers could be heard courtesy Ford Yosemite, and Zion) well but began to disappear “jamming” the gears as they double-clutched Motor Company. after World War II as visitors increasingly pre- along the precipitous Sun Road. Visitors loved the stylish buses and their drivers, who were affectionately nicknamed “Gear Jammers.” Before long, it was hard to tell which was more popular, the Sun Road, the Reds, or the Gear Jammers! In the summer of 1999, a combination of old age, metal fatigue, safety issues, and liability concerns caused the Reds to be pulled from ser- vice, replaced by contemporary 15-passenger vans. Glacier’s 33 buses were believed to be the oldest sightseeing fleet in existence.1 They are also believed to hold the record for the longest continuous service of any bus fleet in the U.S., and quite possibly the world. The oldest of the Reds had been on the road for more than 64 years. CRM No. 5—2002 23 teer advisors like Barbara Pahl, Director of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Mountain/Plains Office; Bruce Austin, an afi- cionado of the White Bus Company sedans, and Don Durkee, Assistant Chief Counsel for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Equally important were collaborators from The Glacier Fund, Glacier National Park Foundation, the Propane Education and Research Council, Clean FuelUSA, Amerigas, the Montana Department of Transportation, and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. On top of the design, renovation, and mechanical issues, the team also had considerable financial challenges. The cost estimates were sub- A heavy snow- That same year, Glacier National Park com- stantial—beyond what GPI could tackle on its storm moved pleted a General Management Plan (GMP). own. The team searched for possible funding the June 8, Initially, public comments about long-term park sources, but could not identify viable private 2002, Red Bus “welcome management emphasized a desire for less devel- alternatives. Furthermore, there appeared to be home” celebra- opment within the park. Midway through the 5- no public funding for a fleet of buses in private tion inside his- year planning process, a stronger theme surfaced: ownership, even if they were potentially the old- toric Glacier Park Lodge. “Keep Glacier National Park the way it is. Don’t est, longest-running fleet of tour buses in the Photo courtesy change it.” More than 7,000 public comments world. It began to look like the old buses might Glacier National were received; the majority loved the natural be relegated to museums, private collections, or Park. beauty and tranquility of Glacier and also junkyards. expressed strong attachments to the park’s human Finding Ford and cultural history, including the Red Buses. In 1999-2000, the National Park Service Fortunately for the Reds, park management was hosted four regional workshops for park man- firmly committed to having the bus experience agers and partners on alternative transportation retained. Accordingly, the GMP states, “The red technology and opportunities for developing bus touring experience will be continued as part partnerships with other agencies and the private of the heritage opportunities for visitors to enjoy sector. Representatives from the Ford Motor at Glacier National Park.” Company participated in the workshops and The Red Bus Team heard about the transportation issues – including In October 1999, the park created the Red the Red Buses – at Glacier. Ford visited the park Bus Team. Made up of a small group of park in July 2000 to get a first-hand look at the prob- employees and representatives from park conces- lem and to talk to park managers, GPI, and alter- Visitors to Glacier National sioner Glacier Park, Inc. (GPI), Park ride Red the owner of the Reds, the team Bus Number 107 was charged with not only find- (August 15, ing a way to return the Red Bus 1938) past the remnants of the experience to Glacier, but also annual 50- to doing so in an economically fea- 80-foot-deep sible manner. “Big Drift” east of Logan Pass The team faced myriad (elev. 6,646 feet) complicated issues, including that is one of the wheel-chair accessibility, reten- final obstacles to opening the tion of existing body compo- Going-to-the- nents and design elements while Sun Road each addressing contemporary safety spring. Photo standards, and variations in size courtesy Bayard Lawes, Trans- and components from bus to portation Design bus. Helping the team in the & Manufacturing. search for solutions were volun- 24 CRM No. 5—2002 The Red Buses native transportation consultants went through a complete refur- from FTA. The visit was a turn- bishment that ing point. The Red Bus Team included the had a new partner – Ford Motor installation of Company. clean burning alternative fuel Later in 2000, Ford technology. became part of the National Photo courtesy Park Foundation’s “Proud Ford Motor Company. Partner of America’s National Parks” program,2 and the Red Buses became the company’s first Proud Partner project. Red Bus “Number 98” went east to Inkster, MI, to begin an extensive engineering and design review to determine the feasibility of a chassis and engine retrofit for the entire fleet and how it could be accom- plished while still preserving the • an all-new 5.4L V8 clean-burning, bi-fuel historic character of the buses. A review like this powertrain using LPG (propane) had never been attempted before. With each new • a space-age (aerospace) aluminum honeycomb discovery came new challenges, often delays and floor to increase strength and reduce weight uncertainty, but ultimately solutions. • a new-concept isolation “sled” to insulate body The work on Number 98 was completed in from chassis noise and vibration May 2001. The newly-renovated Red Bus was • ergonomic seats for the driver and passengers unveiled at two public ceremonies in June 2001 • lighter-weight rear door and body reinforce- — one in Washington, DC, presided over by ment Secretary of the Interior Gayle Norton, and the • upgraded glass and lighting other in Glacier National Park, where 300 guests • an upgraded instrument panel were regaled by the reminisces of 86-year-old Dr. • a heater Robert Wise, one of the original drivers of • a body painted with environmentally friendly Number 98 in 1936. paint Based on what was learned from the work The switch to the new clean burning fuel on the first bus, a rehabilitation and refurbish- system reduced emissions by 93 percent, qualify- ment plan was devised for the entire fleet that ing the vehicles for a ULEV (ultra low emissions included: vehicle) rating. To support the buses’ operation, • a new Ford E-450 chassis stretched to original Ford, in cooperation with Clean Fuels USA, White bus wheel base installed two propane-refueling stations near the park. Glacier National The return of the renovated Reds to Glacier Park Interim was celebrated in a snowstorm in June 2002. All Superintendent of the buses will finally be home in December Pete Hart joined more than 500 2002. When they are, both the Red Bus experi- guests, partners, ence and the buses themselves will belong to the and former American people.