HISTORIC VEHICLES uSED IN yELLOWSTONE pARK

• 50 ordered from White Motor Company between 1917-1924  with many of those being 1915 and 1916 Models when acquired in 1917

• 7 passenger (including driver) touring car with open sides, retractable canvas top, and side curtains with celluloid windows 

• Various hp engines (30 hp GKD, 45 hp GKD, 45 hp GN, 70 hp GM engines), vacuum fuel pump system, and double magneto 

• 4 doors, front bucket seats, rear bench seat, 2 rear jump seats behind a second cowl, and storage compartment under rear seat for side curtains  

• Distinguished from buses by smaller size and from later Lincoln Touring Cars by straight windshield and lack of bumpers 

• Primarily used by dignitaries and for hire, with driver, by visitors for a more personalized Park tour 

• 135 ordered from White Motor Company in 1917 with Bender body 

• 11 passenger (including driver) touring bus with open sides, retractable canvas top, and side curtains with celluloid windows 

• 45 hp 4-cylinder GEC engine 

• 4-speed standard transmission 

• Manual (cam and lever) steering 

• Mechanical rear wheel brakes only 

• 3/4 ton, 140-inch wheelbase truck chassis 

• 35-inch front and 36-inch rear pneumatic tires mounted on 24-inch diameter demountable rims 

• Body constructed of aluminum panels nailed to wood framework; linoleum-covered running boards and interior floors; steel fenders 

• 8 doors but modified to 4 operating curbside doors only (doors on driver's side sealed) for passenger safety 

• 4 leather upholstered bench seats; leather straps behind seats to hold blankets for passengers  

• Acetylene gas-powered headlamps powered by gas cylinder mounted on running board; kerosene running lamps below windshield and under frame supporting rear boot 

• Split (upper and lower) windshield; transition between hood and dash squared off 

• Canvas covered boot on rear wooden platform supported by steel frame 

• Distinguished by 3 oil-sight tubes on dash, 5 bolts on front wheel hubs and external oil reservoir on side of engine 

• 214 Model 15-45 buses with GN and GR engines ordered from White Motor Company between 1920-1925  

• 11 passenger (including driver) touring bus with open sides, retractable canvas top, and side and rear curtains with celluloid windows 

• 4-speed manual redesigned transmission with more traditional shift pattern making shifting easier 

• Manual (cam and lever) steering 

• Mechanical rear wheel brakes only 

• 3/4 ton, 143.5-inch wheelbase resulting in longer hood and front fenders 

• 8 doors but only 4 operating curbside doors (doors on driver's side sealed) for passenger safety; driver's side passenger doors eliminated on later orders 

• Acetylene gas-powered headlamps powered by gas cylinder mounted on running board; front and rear kerosene running lamps eliminated on later orders 

• Distinguished from earlier Model TEB Bus by higher body sides making first and second door look rectangular; rounded transition between hood and windshield; split 4-piece windshield (vertical and horizontal); metal covered trunk rather than canvas covered boot 

SPECIFIC TO MODEL 15-45 BUS WITH GN ENGINE

• Ordered from 1920-1923 with Scott (early orders) and Bender bodies  

• 45 hp 4-cylinder redesigned engine with removable head and pressurized oil system; oil pressure gauge added to dash 

• 34-inch front and 36-inch rear high-pressure tires mounted on 24-inch diameter demountable rims 

• 10-inch bolt front wheel hubs 

SPECIFIC TO MODEL 15-45 BUS WITH GR ENGINE

• Ordered from 1923-1925 with Bender bodies 

• 50 hp 4-cylinder slightly improved engine with minor changes to head and manifolds; slanted sparkplugs 

• Some transmissions geared lower in third for Cody to Canyon run  

• Smaller 22-inch diameter rims with balloon tires  

• Felloes (rim supporting the spokes) made of steel rather than wood 

• 2 ordered from White Motor Company in 1923 with Bender body 

• 25 passenger (including driver) touring bus with open sides, roll-down side curtains, and fixed top with luggage rack accessed by folding ladder at back of bus  

• 6 doors with 7 rows of bench seats (passengers enter doorless seat six which sits over the rear wheels through a walk-through from the last seat) 

• 45 hp 4-cylinder GN engine  

• 4-speed manual transmission 

• Manual (cam and lever) steering 

• Mechanical rear wheel brakes only 

• 198-inch wheelbase (wider and longer body) 

• Heavier chassis designed specifically for buses 

• Budd steel disc wheels and dual rear wheels with 36-inch tires all around 

• Electric headlamps, a first for touring buses in the Park 

• Primarily used on mostly flat route between West Yellowstone and Old Faithful Inn due to small engine size 

• 28 cars ordered from Lincoln Motor Company between 1923-1928 with Brunn Coachbuilders body 

• 7 passenger (including driver) touring car with open sides and retractable canvas top 

• 90 hp 8-cylinder engine with sufficient power to travel over 50 mph 

• 3-speed manual transmission 

• Manual steering with worm sector semi-reversible steering gear 

• Mechanical rear wheel brakes only 

• Nickel-plated radiator shell and vertical louvers that automatically opened and closed depending on water temperature 

• Electric headlamps that raise and lower for high and low beam 

• Wind-wings on sides of windshield for deflecting harsh winds from passenger's faces 

• Wood-grain dash with nickel-plated instruments including speedometer 

• Driver's compartment separated from passenger's compartment by second cowl, providing space for storing 2 folding jump seats  

• Primarily used by dignitaries and for hire, with driver, by visitors for a more personalized Park tour

• 8 ordered from White Motor Company in 1931 with Bender body 

• 14 passenger (including driver) enclosed touring bus with roll-down glass side windows and open roof with full-length roll-back canvas top allowing passengers to stand when rolled back  

• 4 passenger side doors with 4 rows of bench seats; operable driver side door 

• 75 hp overhead valve 6-cylinder White 3A engine, dual ignition 

• 4-speed manual transmission 

• Manual (cam and lever) steering 

• 4-wheel Lockheed hydraulic brakes with vacuum assist 

• Enclosed built-in bi-level luggage space in the rear with 2 cargo doors 

• Vertical radiator shell 

• Electric headlamps 

• Single slanted single-pane windshield with sun visor 

• Primarily used on Cody to Canyon run 

• 98 ordered from White Motor Company between 1936-1939 with Bender body  

• 14 passenger (including driver) enclosed touring bus with roll-down glass side windows and roll-back canvas top that tied down along the edges  

• 4 passenger side doors with 4 rows of Spanish leather upholstered bench seats; operable driver side door   

• Art Deco style with a long bold horizontal back stripe running the length of the body and black oversized teardrop rear fenders in contrast to yellow body and chrome radiator shell, bumpers and door handles  

• Renowned industrial designer, Alexis de Sakhnoffsky, designed radiator cowling and grill   

• 36 hp flathead 6-cylinder 318-cubic inch White 16A truck engine  

• 4-speed manual transmission  

• Manual (cam and lever) steering  

• 4-wheel Lockheed hydraulic brakes with vacuum assist  

• 190-inch wheelbase; 315.5-inch overall length  

• Electric headlamps and rear streamlined running lamps  

• Body constructed of hard wood uprights and door frames covered with sheet aluminum  

• Upper body constructed of steel with 3 steel roof bows and wooden roof bow supporting a retractable canvas top  

• Seats with grab handles and roof bow support bar for passengers to hold onto when they stand  

• 2 square glass windshields though more rounded in later orders  

• 2 enclosed compartments behind fourth seat for tools, blankets and driver's personal belongings 

• Enclosed built-in bi-level luggage space in rear with 2 cargo doors    

In 1956, Yellowstone considered various proposals to modernize their White Motor Company Model 706 Buses. Proposals ranged from engine and power-train replacement to total overhaul and rebuild. One tried idea was the placement of a Model 706 Bus body on a 192-inch wheelbase Ford B-600 school bus chassis powered by a 168-hp, 8-cylinder engine. The thinking was the more powerful engine and modern running gear would improve performance and cut maintenance costs while the open-top body would preserve the look and feel of the traditional Yellowstone bus. Needless to say, the bus had suspension, transmission and carburetor problems plus its overall appearance was lacking. Although the problems were eventually worked out, the costs were too high and the proposal to modify the Model 706 buses was rejected. ​

Numerous service vehicles were used in Yellowstone National Park over the years such as  Water Trucks, Tow Trucks, Supply Trucks, Telephone Service Trucks, Dump Trucks, Fuel Tanker Trucks, etc.​