A leafy deciduous tree was growing through the middle of the 1947 International school bus when it was uprooted and sold to Southland Transportation in 2002. About a year later, the maintenance team at the Calgary, Alberta-based company decided to restore the run-down bus to celebrate the province's centennial. Despite the vehicle's condition, the staff became excited at the thought of such a major restoration project. "It was a total derelict, but the guys in the shop rallied around it," says Harry Davis, Southland's manager of fleet and facilities. For 18 months, Southland's technicians and volunteers dedicated numerous hours to the project.
Antique Bus Restoration
The staff at Southland Transportation in Alberta spent a year and a half restoring a dilapidated 1947 school bus. Then they put the finished product on parade.
This picture shows the frame and floor supports after the rotted wood had been stripped away. These supports were tested and found to be salvageable. From this point on, the floor could be reconstructed.
Here, Walter Weening is replacing the vertical window stiles. These had to be removed in order to get at all of the wood that had been used in the original construction and had rotted away over the years.
Here's the front of the bus following the removal of all of the sheet metal up to the firewall, the hood-fenders, the engine and other mechanical components.
This shot depicts the installation of the interior lining. This would form the base for the finishing material.
Herman Baas shows the inside of the back door of the bus. The original had been stripped down to the skin, and a new frame structure was installed.
The interior was reconstructed with oak, using paneling and solid materials. For the floor, oak strips were laid, sanded and finished. The benches are solid oak. The dash and gauges were also refurbished.
The entire ceiling of the bus had been constructed using wood supports and wood slats. Over those slats, canvas had been used to make it weatherproof. The entire structure had rotted away. During the years that the bus languished in the bush, a tree had grown through it.
Here's a shot of the work in progress in the reconstruction of the floor. All of the wood used in this part of the reconstruction is pressure treated, and additional preservation was used to ensure protection against water and salt.
This picture shows the reconstruction of the roof. Originally, wood had been used for this purpose; however, it was decided that metal would be better, and these trusses were constructed by the restorers using galvanized tubing.
The restored bus continues to appear in local community fairs and parades. Last year, the bus was part of the float entry that won the "Best Corporate" title in the internationally renowned Calgary Stampede.