Jasper Park McLaughlin Buicks

[Oldtech]

I'm just throwing this story out for interest. 

   In the 1920's The Jasper National park in Alberta Canada was only accessible by Rail, The railroad built a magnificent Lodge to accommodate travelers, and give them a luxurious stay in the mountain grandeur of Jasper. The lodge bought some cars to tour the patrons around the park on the scenic roads. The first was a 1923 Buick, which the Lodge has,  and have it restored. Out in Western Canada there are a number of these cars from the period 1923 until 1940 in various states of condition  from restored to hulk.  At this point 4 1927's have been accounted for, a couple of 30,s a 37, and a 40.  All Big cars, The 40 is a Roadmaster phaeton. the 30 and 27's are 7 passenger tourings on 128" wheelbase. The interesting thing with the 27 cars is that they are Model 49's. There is no record in Oshwa of there being any model 49 built in 27, so one can assume they were special ordered for Jasper Park Lodge. If anyone googles "Jasper park Buicks" some will come up. I'm always curious to learn of more. Some of these cars have been in the McLaughlin Buick club of Canada issues.  I don't know how many Buick people south of the 49th might know about these cars.   

 

Here's one of the "maddening" internet pics of a 27. It's maddening because there is a number above the Jasper Park Lodge sign- and somebody threw the blanket over it. 

otherwise I would know which car it was.

 

[cxgvd]

When I lived in Red Deer, Alberta in the 1980's there two nearby.  One, was a 1930?, big six, seven passenger, running and driving.  We drove the Jasper Park Buick to the Banff Windermere National Parks Centennial in Radium Hot Springs, June 30, 1985, I still have the dash plaque.  The car was dark blue and the owner would point out heavy scratches in the paint on the side of the car and tell people a bear made them.  Maybe there is a picture or story from the BC event?

The second was an eight cylinder, seven passenger touring car in storage.

 

Hope this helps, stay well, Gary

[JohnD1956]

@Oldtech That's an interesting story.  Do you have more pictures?  

[Oldtech]

17 hours ago, cxgvd said:

When I lived in Red Deer, Alberta in the 1980's there two nearby.  One, was a 1930?, big six, seven passenger, running and driving.  We drove the Jasper Park Buick to the Banff Windermere National Parks Centennial in Radium Hot Springs, June 30, 1985, I still have the dash plaque.  The car was dark blue and the owner would point out heavy scratches in the paint on the side of the car and tell people a bear made them.  Maybe there is a picture or story from the BC event?

The second was an eight cylinder, seven passenger touring car in storage.

 

Hope this helps, stay well, Gary

That is interesting. We were in Jasper for the Centennial that year with B-in laws 27. Jasper park lodge 3. 

 

 One from Red Deer I believe is the one Reynolds has now in Wetaskewin. It is number 8.  Here are a few more pics. !st the 30 in Reynolds. The 40. I believe number 18. The 30, out and about. 

[Oldtech]

The 27 at Jasper in 1985. He had just finished restoring it. These are scans of photos. 

1st one: the parade in Jasper,  2nd "driver for hire", 3rd By Medicine Lake. 

Interestingly, it seems that after the Lodge was done with them Brewster Rocky Mountain tours purchased them and used them for their tours. out of Maligne Lake.  Third picture , coming down road from Maligne. would be one of Brewsters routes. 

[cxgvd]

The man, with the mustache, in the photo with number 8 was my friend Emile Hermery.  He lived on an acreage outside of Red Deer on the road to Sylvan Lake and was a gunsmith/ locksmith.

The great fellow who owned the car started collecting cars in the 1930's, his eye sight was failing so folks of our local car club, the Central Alberta Vintage Auto Club (CAVAC) would drive him and his cars to events.  Funny story, once I was with Nettie in our antique car and my wife, Bev, was driving one of Charlie's cars when word got around we were wife swappers.

On the run to the Banff Windermere Centennial in 1985 the Buick suffered often from vapour lock and I would douse the fuel pump with cold water.

A different hobby in the old days, IMHO, we did not take the vehicles seriously.  Gary

Edited April 22, 2020 by cxgvd
correction (see edit history)

[JBP]

I worked at the Canadian Pacific Railway for 20 years. One of my final portfolios was as head of the Corporate Archives, which were still in the old corporate head office at Windsor Station, in Montreal. Among the thousands of artifacts, documents, and other pieces documenting the company’s rail, steamship, hotel, airline, mining, timber, coal and other business interests over 130+ years, was our collection of more than 500,000 photographs and negatives. 
 

When the CPR built the Banff Springs Hotel, the Chateau Lake Louise, Glacier House, and many others through the Rocky Mountains, the publicity department used to delight in taking scenic photos of guests posing in the fleet of different cars bought for guiding the tourists. I saw (and held) some of the original prints, which showed the railway had a variety of high-end cars (memorably Packards and Buicks). 
 

Last year I drove one of my cars to a small town show and shine, about 45 minutes outside of Calgary, and was floored to see a restored 1931 McLaughlin Buick model 65 that was reportedly ex-CPR fleet. A great surprise if true, and still a great car if only a story. 

[Oldtech]

Oh Nice:  I would believe the story. Banff would have had cars for doing tours too. I'm just not up on the Banff cars. The difference being that Banff had a highway much earlier than Jasper  did so people could bring their own cars to the park.

That would be a good research project for someone. I have only heard of one Packard at Jasper and don't know much about it except that it was junked about the time the majority of the Buicks were rescued from Brewster Rock Mountain.

 

You might be interested in my post under German cars on this site of the Maybach. I'm not sure if it was in Banff or Jasper but I think the picture was taken in Jasper.

Edited April 24, 2020 by Oldtech (see edit history)

[8E45E]

Postwar, JPL had a fleet of six 1951 Dodge Coronet 8-passenger sedans with observation windows cut in the roof.

 

Craig

Edited May 26, 2020 by 8E45E (see edit history)

[cxgvd]

Earlier in this thread I said the fellow driving the Jasper Park car was Emile Hermery of Red Deer, Alberta.  He was a soft talking, quick witted friend and I found this photo in my collection of Kodachrome slides of him and his Model T truck.  You can see by the blanket behind the truck it was picnic time.  Through the windshield of the 'T' the fellow unloading his Packard Clipper trunk was Ted Carswell, he was the local auto wrecker in Red Deer, another great guy.  Thanks for the memories,  Gary

[8E45E]

16 hours ago, cxgvd said:

Through the windshield of the 'T' the fellow unloading his Packard Clipper trunk was Ted Carswell, he was the local auto wrecker in Red Deer, another great guy. 

 

Here is a link to a photo of Ted Carswell's 1949 Brill ex-Edmonton Transit bus that he drove on the coast-to-coast Canada 2000 tour: https://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/forum/your-studebaker-forum/stove-huggers-the-non-studebaker-forum/59164-orphan-of-the-day-12-31-1949-ccf-brill-c-36?57746-Orphan-of-the-Day-12-31-1949-CCF-Brill-C-36=

 

Craig

[cxgvd]

Ted and his travelling mate, Howard, visited me with the Brill at my house in Chatham, Ontario during the coast to coast tour.  Sorry no pictures.  I think Ted remembered every nut and bolt of any job he performed.  We would go to swap meets together and often he would point to an item and say I should buy it because it fits a car I owned.

 

Off topic, My wife and I lived in Alberta from 1971 to 1987 and joined the old car hobby in 1978.   Fun and different times but these are the good old days.  Gary

[8E45E]

I have known Ted's travelling mate, Howard Lengert for close to 45 years, and am familiar with his RR/Bentley collection.  I first met him through one of our local Studebaker club members who has long since passed away.  Howard is alive and well, and I would be having some good visits with him this coming weekend and a month from now, but unfortunately, both these annual events got canceled for this year.

 

Craig

[garnetkid]

Hello Craig and Gary,  my wife and I lived in Wetaskiwnin from 1983 to 1990 and belonged to the Central Alberta Car Club..  There was a gentleman from Shellbrooke Sask that had a Jasper park Lodge McLaughlin buick #3 at the International meet in Edmonton can't remember the year but it was in the 80's.. maybe you can remembers this one.

[Fargoguy]

43 minutes ago, garnetkid said:

Hello Craig and Gary,  my wife and I lived in Wetaskiwnin from 1983 to 1990 and belonged to the Central Alberta Car Club..  There was a gentleman from Shellbrooke Sask that had a Jasper park Lodge McLaughlin buick #3 at the International meet in Edmonton can't remember the year but it was in the 80's.. maybe you can remembers this one.

That fellow is Harold Aamundsen- my neighbour. He still has and shows the car. He is the fellow driving the car in the top pic of Oldtech’s 3 pics. I’m sure I have a pic of the car from last summer. 

[garnetkid]

Thank you Fargoguy, now I  remember his name  haha.  Say hello to him from me, Leon Rumpf, we chatted a few times as I had my 25-45 at that meet. Glad to hear that he is still around.

[Oldtech]

8E45E I didn't know about the Dodges, although I've seen the big ones from the late 40's. 

Note: Harold Amundson is my brother in law, and I was somewhat involved in the restoration of this car.

Edited July 11, 2020 by Oldtech (see edit history)