America’s
National Parks took a beating during the recent government shutdown, but
Glacier National Park’s iconic red buses are about to get some upgrades.
Known
as the Red Jammers, the buses date back to 1936 and were originally created by
the White Motor Company. Glacier’s fleet of 33 Model 706 buses are operated and
maintained by the Xanterra Travel Collection and the company has just announced
they have selected Legacy Classic Trucks to performance a “total fleet
overhaul”.
As
part of this process, Legacy Classic Trucks will restore and update each bus
during the park’s off-season. Each will ride on a new Ford chassis and be
outfitted with a Ford-sourced 6.2-liter V8 engine. The big news, however, is
the addition of a hybrid system which promises to improve fuel efficiency and
reduce emissions by up to 25%. The company didn’t say much about the system,
but the buses will also be equipped with regenerative brakes that will help to
recharge their batteries.
The
overhaul will also focus on the appearance of the buses as Legacy Classic
Trucks will install retro-inspired gauges to give the Red Jammers a
period-correct look. They will also be outfitted with new wheels that have been
designed to replicate the appearance of the originals. The upgrades don’t stop
there, as the buses will be reconditioned, including rust repairs and
repainting on an as-needed basis.
This
isn’t the first time the buses have been upgraded. Between 1999 and 2002, they
were placed on an E-Series chassis and outfitted to run on propane. Since then,
each has traveled between 130,000 – 150,000 miles, so
they were due for some repair.
