FYI from MCI™

Western Bus Parts and Service makes Shriner Care Cruisers run

Some service centers work hard to fix coaches. Western Bus also works hard to fix kids. In addition to doing MCI warranty work and repairs, the Vancouver-based authorized MCI service provider is largely behind a fleet of Shriner Care Cruisers, motor coaches that provide free transportation for children bound for the Shriners Hospital for Children in Portland, Oregon.

The purchase and retrofitting of the coaches was spearheaded by Mark Smith, Western Bus general manager, and his father, Ken Smith, CEO and former Imperial Potentate of North America, the Shriners' highest office. North America's 22 Shriner hospitals are renowned for providing state-of-the-art care at no cost to children under 18. The hospitals, which have a daily budget of $1.6 million and special expertise in orthopedics, spinal injuries and burns, treated more than 123,000 children last year. More than 700 of those children came from British Columbia and the Yukon.

The Care Cruisers consist of three MCI® E4500s, one MCI® 102DL3 and two older MCI coaches as well as a smaller shuttle vehicle. The first coach went into service in 2001. The coaches are all wheelchair-accessible, and Western Bus has retrofitted them with the needs of young patients in mind. All have inverters to accommodate medical devices, and the coaches are variously outfitted with comfortable seating, hospital beds and Medi Chairs that can fully recline as well as lift a patient to a standing position. The Care Cruisers also have galleys, video entertainment systems and lots of stuffed animals and toys. "The coaches are much more comfortable than flying," says Mark Smith.

Western Bus is currently working on building fully accessible bathrooms into all of the coaches, modeled in part on a D-Series coach that has a lavatory that spans the entire rear of the bus. "There's a lot of research and development to be done for projects like this," says Mark Smith. "Everything is sort of a one-off."

Apparently, Western Bus' efforts are attracting notice far and wide. The Shriners have sent Care Cruisers from other parts of Canada and the U.S. for conversion work, and Ken Smith reports that customers have come from as far as California and Texas to tap the shop's expertise. Cracks Smith, "They don’t come for the nice, long drive."

Beyond its work on the Shriners coaches, Western Bus is a top-notch service facility, authorized to do MCI warranty work, collision work, campaign updates and other repairs as well as stock an extensive inventory of MCI parts. Its team of 25 technicians has vast experience on all types and ages of coach models. Its 40,000-square-foot facility includes 22 repair bays, three paint booths and a complete mechanical service center. Their experience with MCI coaches stretches back to their early days. "Probably the first coach we worked on in the early 1970s was an MCI," says Mark Smith.

Western Bus has also started carrying MCI pre-owned coaches and hosts technician training for area motor coach operators.

Operators can find the facility at 95 Philip Avenue, North Vancouver, British Columbia. The telephone number is 604-980-4844. Visit www.Westernbus.ca for more information and directions.

The FYI from MCI editorial staff values your feedback. Please e-mail any suggestions, comments, or ideas for future articles to fyi@mcicoach.com.