The White Model 706 Tour bus was developed specifically for sightseeing in the National Park System of the United States of America. In 1935 four manufacturing companies agreed to participate in product evaluations at Yosemite National Park to determine the best vehicle for touring in western national parks. Note the similarity between the DeVaux grill and the the White Model 706 grill.

The transition from horse drawn carriages to internal combustion engine powered coaches had already taken place, but no standard had ever been established with regard to seating capacity or power requirements.
Early passenger vehicles in the parks were often underpowered or simply did not carry enough passengers. All of the participating vehicles were loaded with sandbags to simulate passenger weight and driven the same course throughout Yosemite National Park. The White Model 706, with its longer wheelbase and powerful 318 cubic inch 6 cylinder engine outperformed all of the other entries and was clearly the favorite. The styling of the White Model 706 did not go unnoticed. The radiator cowling and grill were the design of the renowned Count Alexis de Sakhnoffsky, a Russian immigrant whose designs had been used on the Packard, the Cord, and the DeVaux automobiles among others. The Bender Body Company had designed and built the coach body with the design influence of Herman Bender and F.W. Black, president of White Motor Company.

The Yellowstone Bus - Yellow & Black
Yellowstone ordered 27 of the Model 706's for the 1936 season and by 1940, there were 98 Model 706's at Yellowstone. There were only subtle changes made to the styling of the Model 706 in 1938 and 1939. (Note the square-cornered windshields of the 1936.) The older Yellowstone fleet was gradually phased out and the Model 706's were used until the mid 1960's when the remaining buses were sold. Generally the Yellowstone buses were sold whenever they needed major repairs. Many never rolled again.

A privately owned Yellowstone Bus.
The Skagway Streetcar Company of Skagway, Alaska assembled a fleet of eight units, buying them from private owners. The buses were used in Skagway until 2001 when they were sold to Yellowstone National Park for restoration, exhibition, and tour duty.  Skagway story Another two modernized Yellowstone Buses remain in daily service with Historic Battlefield Bus Tours of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Most of the Yellowstone buses have been accounted for. Museums and private collectors own several.

The Glacier Park "Jammer" - Red & Black
Glacier National Park purchased 35of the Model 706's between 1936 and 1940.The White Model 706's saw continuous
service in Glacier except for 1943-1946
due to World War II. In 1989 the fleet was upgraded to modern specifications including power steering and automatic transmission. The entire fleet was temporarily removed from service in 1999 because of chassis metal fatigue and cracking. "Jammers" awaiting restoration in east Glacier, Montana.

The fleet was retrofitted with an entirely new running gear, completely refurbished, and returned to service for the 2002 season. In keeping with modern clean air standards, the 8 cylinder engines of the current fleet of 33 units can operate on either propane or gasoline. One unit, #78, was never modernized and is stored at the East Glacier, Montana garage facility. The White Model 706's used in Glacier National Park are called "Reds". The tour guide drivers have come to be called "Gear Jammers" or "Jammers", reminiscent of the time when the original gear boxes, requiring double clutching, could often be heard as they were jammed into gear. While today's drivers are still called "Jammers", with automatic transmissions being used in the fleet, the drivers are in reality simply "shiftless".

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