Bus 142: Conservators Come North

As an official repository for the State of Alaska, the UA Museum of the North took possession of the Stampede Trail Bus, or Bus 142 in fall of 2020. In 2022 the museum contracted with the team at B.R. Howard Conservators to assess and conserve Bus 142. That conservation was begun and completed in spring of 2023 within the UAF Engineering Department’s high bay. During the work, the museum spoke with members of the B.R. Howard team about the complicated process of balancing the preservation of existing bus elements while repairing and restoring lost components—in aid of both the safety of future visitors to the bus and the long-term care of the bus and associated collections. The More You Look is a production of the UA Museum of the North, on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the ancestral lands of the Dena people of the lower Tanana River. UAMN illuminates the natural history and cultural heritage of Alaska and the North through collections, research, education, and partnerships, and by creating a singular museum experience that honors diverse knowledge and respect for the land and its peoples.