My wife and I visited Banff this summer as we do every few years as she usually enjoys walking the main street to check out the tourist trap stores. This year I found something for me to check out in this retro inspired bus.
Inspired by a White bus operated by Brewster in the late Thirties to ferry well to do tourists around the Banff area this is a modernized re-recreation. Like a MINI but on a larger scale. The original bus still exists and is brought out for special events but unfortunately I have not had to good fortune to see it yet. But I did come across this modern interpretation which was built on a modern Ford chassis. It offers modern luxuries such as comfy seats and charging for the passenger’s mobile phones. I am sure the driver appreciates the power steering and brakes as well.
As the name suggests the top of the bus opens to highlight the world class scenery of the area surrounding Banff. As you can see it has a canvas roof for sporadic rain but can be fitted with glass panels on a very wet day.
The bus was built by a Michigan based firm called Prefix. There are a few under construction photos here.
Daily tours are available we choose to take a tour under our own leg power. Spotting this bus sure beat visiting any of the seemly endless variety of tourist shops.
I saw these going through Chicago last year!
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cc-cohort/cohort-picks-of-the-day-getting-passed-by-what/
Beats the usual van-based minibuses.
A modern-day charabanc, even to the opening roof.
Perhaps inspired by Glacier National Park’s “Red Jammer” buses, which started operating in 1936, according to Wiki. The original buses were extensively renovated several times, such that today only parts of the original bodies sit atop modern mechanicals.
Wow! You picked a perfect day to visit such a beautiful city and national park. In Yellowstone I’ve seen several of the “restromodded” White model 706 busses. They look like a ton of fun. The low style bus get you up close and personal to the wildlife as opposed to the modern tour busses ten feet up. The link below is for a great CC write-up on this style bus.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/bus-stop-classic/bus-stop-classics-white-motors-corporation-urban-transit-buses-better-known-for-trucks-they-made-buses-too/