Helena (TAN): The vintage fleet of Red Bus in the United States’ Glacier National Park will get contemporary hybrid V8 powertrains in the first half of 2019, media reports said.
Xanterra Travel Collection, the park’s concessionaire, will work together with Idaho state’s Driggs-based Legacy Classic Trucks, to carry out the entire fleet overhaul. Legacy’s portfolio includes work on Yellowstone’s 1930s park buses and conversion of over 100 classic Dodge Power Wagons.
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“We are honored to be entrusted with such an iconic slice of Americana,” media reports quoted Legacy Classic Trucks’ chief executive Winslow Bent as saying.
“When people think of classic American public transportation, the Glacier Red Bus Fleet is in the same class as the San Francisco Cable Cars. By updating the buses to an electric hybrid system, they will have a much lower carbon footprint in Glacier National Park,” he added.
The art deco vehicles of public transport will be converted into more eco-friendly hybrid systems to lessen environmental impact and ensure Red Bus vehicles operate for the conceivable future.
Looking back
Glacier’s iconic Red Bus, a Ford White Model 706, was introduced in 1936 and quickly gained popularity with visitors. The fleet was last renovated between 2000 and 2002 when they were modified to a Ford E-series van chassis and propane-fuel power.
Glacier National Park presently has 33 Red Bus vehicles.
What the project will accomplish
During the current makeover, each bus will get a new Ford chassis and 6.2-liter V8 engine strengthened by a hybrid electrical system. The design will improve fuel economy and lower emissions by an estimated 25 per cent.
Styling of the classic buses will be kept intact despite the introduction of modern technology. Legacy Classic Trucks will upgrade the vehicles’ 16.5-inch wheels to replicate the original 1930s design.
