And then there was one..

joegriffinjnr · 13-12-2012 11:28pm #1

From a fleet of over 600, Dublin Bus is now down to its final Olympian in normal passenger service (excluding tours). Summerhills RV560 has the honors of been the final one in service.

Entering service in 1990 the Leyland/Volvo Olympians were the best buses that Dublin Bus ever operated. There only downfall was they were not wheelchair accessible. Summerhills RV560 is due to be withdrawn next week, making the Dublin Bus fleet 100% accessible.

Most of these type of buses live on with other operators and will provide years of future service, sadly demand has soaked up and some have been sold for scrap.

I grew up with the RH/RA/RV buses and will be sad to see them go.... Farewell old friends farewell..

Below: The Final One, Summerhills RV560.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/66897607@N06/8213989339/

The_Wrecker · 14-12-2012 12:02am

I drove it from new on the N11 QBC when the road was updated back in 99.

oppenheimer1 · 14-12-2012 12:12am

joegriffinjnr wrote: »

From a fleet of over 600, Dublin Bus is now down to its final Olympian in normal passenger service (excluding tours). Summerhills RV560 has the honors of been the final one in service.

Entering service in 1990 the Leyland/Volvo Olympians were the best buses that Dublin Bus ever operated. There only downfall was they were not wheelchair accessible. Summerhills RV560 is due to be withdrawn next week, making the Dublin Bus fleet 100% accessible.

Most of these type of buses live on with other operators and will provide years of future service, sadly demand has soaked up and some have been sold for scrap.

I grew up with the RH/RA/RV buses and will be sad to see them go.... Farewell old friends farewell..

Below: The Final One, Summerhills RV560.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/66897607@N06/8213989339/

Good riddance, they were an awful cramped bus. I used to hate seeing them pull up to my stop.

The_Wrecker · 14-12-2012 12:22am

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

Good riddance, they were an awful cramped bus. I used to hate seeing them pull up to my stop.

Totally agree from a users viewpoint, but dont forget the base design goes back to 1979/80. From a drivers angle. Nippy, ease of operation and very low failure rate with onboard electronics.

starviewadams · 14-12-2012 12:33am

Loved the RV class,especially the Cityswift branded ones with bucket seats that used to be on the old 51B.

Always seemed very quick in comparison to the old KD's and even the AV and AX's of today.

dfx- · 14-12-2012 2:23am

joegriffinjnr wrote: »

I grew up with the RH/RA/RV buses and will be sad to see them go.... Farewell old friends farewell..

I grew up with Ringsend's RHs and new RAs in 1995. And some of the Conyngham Rd RVs starviewadams mentioned with bucket seats when the 68A and 51B changed routes. And the 98 D RVs in Donnybrook on the 54A.

A staple part of Dublin whether you've ever got one or not for 20 years.

I'm glad my last Olympian was a Ringsend one, RV608 a few weeks ago. The last few, especially in Summerhill were working into the ground on weekends and late last buses.

seanmacc · 14-12-2012 6:30am

The_Wrecker wrote: »

Totally agree from a users viewpoint, but dont forget the base design goes back to 1979/80. From a drivers angle. Nippy, ease of operation and very low failure rate with onboard electronics.

A driver I know who regularly drives the 31 route is particularly sad to see these go. The newer B9TL's apparently don't have the engine power or reliability to get up Howth hill comfortably with a full load of passengers.

I suppose when you get something new, fancy looking and fuel efficient you have to sacrifice something.

CIE · 14-12-2012 7:56am

seanmacc wrote: »

A driver I know who regularly drives the 31 route is particularly sad to see these go. The newer B9TL's apparently don't have the engine power or reliability to get up Howth hill comfortably with a full load of passengers.

I suppose when you get something new, fancy looking and fuel efficient you have to sacrifice something.

Horsepower? Thought that diesels were getting more efficient, and automatic gearboxes had a wider selection of ratios...? It's a wonder the enviro-types haven't insisted on trolleybuses yet; now those are cleaner than any internal-combustion bus and can climb hills of very steep grades quite rapidly.

The_Wrecker · 14-12-2012 9:57am

seanmacc wrote: »

A driver I know who regularly drives the 31 route is particularly sad to see these go. The newer B9TL's apparently don't have the engine power or reliability to get up Howth hill comfortably with a full load of passengers.

I suppose when you get something new, fancy looking and fuel efficient you have to sacrifice something.

Both engines were designed in the mid/late 90's. While the RV was being ended in 99. The AV type was apearing earlier in the UK. One had a 10ltr and the newer was 7ltr. One for the experts, was it Volvo and/or Dennis that engined the first? We had three demos in 99 ~ red, white and gold.

Conway635 · 14-12-2012 10:38am

The_Wrecker wrote: »

Both engines were designed in the mid/late 90's. While the RV was being ended in 99. The AV type was apearing earlier in the UK. One had a 10ltr and the newer was 7ltr. One for the experts, was it Volvo and/or Dennis that engined the first? We had three demos in 99 ~ red, white and gold.

The very first lowfloor double-decks were in service in London in 1998, but didn't come in any significant numbers till 1999. As the manufacturers were ramping up production, they were concentrating on satisfying London orders, and Dublin Bus were told that they would have to wait until 2000 for deliveries, but they could still have Olympians if they wanted.

So they ordered a final batch of 215 Olympians to take the class up to 660, but later agreed with Volvo to substitute 20 lowfloor single-decks (the first WVs) for the last 20 Olympians, meaning that the class finished at 640 instead of 660 (information given to me at the time by Joe Collins, who was then DB's chief PR guy).

However the manufacturers would provide demonstrators to Ireland, and so DB used 1999 to do a comprehensive testing programme on the three models then available, taking two of each:

2 x Volvo B7TL with Plaxton President bodywork (one white, one gold)

2 x Dennis Trident with Alexander ALX400 bodywork (both white)

2 x DAF DB250LF with Alexander ALX400 bodywork. (in Arriva London red)

After the trials, they decided to order the Volvo chassis, but with the Alexander body.

The two Volvo/Presidents went back to the UK (Edinburgh I believe).

The two DAFs had been on loan, and were part of a London order, they went to Arriva London as DLA124/125 and were still in service until recently in North London.

The two Tridents were sold in Ireland - Finnegans have one, and AMC have the other.

C635

Losty Dublin · 14-12-2012 11:13am

Without a doubt, the best ever bus to grace the city fleet here. Solid, speedy, sturdy, reliable and likeable; their introduction dragged Dublin Bus away from it's unreliable fleet of AN 68's, K's and vintage Atlanteans into a period of huge growth and expansion. It's amazing to think that they have lasted over 20 years in service with relatively little changes made to them; dare I say it but they would be well able for more service if held onto.

popebenny16 · 14-12-2012 1:13pm

i saw one going over the bridge at Portobello on Wednesday morning at about 7.30 am heading southside, there was one still in ringsend i think last week, maybe that was it.

i asgree with losty, the arrival of the RH's in 1990 totally revolutionised the fleet. believe it or not, the first KD (double deck bombardier) had already been withdrawan in 1989, before the end of the old Atlantian (cie built 1966-74 type) in service. A shocking damnation of a class of bus when, unlike today, being in service for 6-9 years was no way near the norm.

My favourite type of Olympians were the second generation, with the tinted windows and the strip lighting all the way down the centre of the bus, and the blue interior. A class bus, and they were superiour to the low floors which replaced it. (Although i read that the first generation of them were the best of the type)

As for how good they were, you can still find ex-dublin bus Olympians doign work in the UK on regular schedules, thats well over 10-15 years service for some of them.

LXFlyer · 14-12-2012 1:28pm

That was the last one in Ringsend - RV623. It was withdrawn on Wednesday evening.

Conway635 · 14-12-2012 2:21pm

popebenny16 wrote: »

i asgree with losty, the arrival of the RH's in 1990 totally revolutionised the fleet. believe it or not, the first KD (double deck bombardier) had already been withdrawan in 1989, before the end of the old Atlantian (cie built 1966-74 type) in service. A shocking damnation of a class of bus when, unlike today, being in service for 6-9 years was no way near the norm.

.

That's very misleading - the only KDs withdrawn before the mid 90s were those destroyed by fire (arson) or totally written off in serious accidents (such as KD111's head-on with a truck/bin lorry on the Malahide Road when brand new).

The vast majority of the KD fleet lasted to 14/15 years in service, many to 16, and a smaller number reached 18/19. That spread was around the norm for DB/CIE from the 50s to the 90s.

C635

Losty Dublin · 14-12-2012 2:43pm

lxflyer wrote: »

That was the last one in Ringsend - RV623. It was withdrawn on Wednesday evening.

I actually saw her on a 77A heading into town around 18:30 last Friday and I was tempted to chase her home as I suspected it could have been her last ever day in service.

Benny, there are many R's in service around Dublin, never mind in the UK. As regards DB, there is still a few R's in service on the City Tour fleet, the drivers schools and of course, Molly 2.

james142 · 14-12-2012 8:57pm

The one thing I absolutely hated was seeing that ugly beast pull up at my stop. I never thought Id say this but I'm actually sad to see it go.

Thinking about it now, compared to the buses DB use today, the old RV560's seem to make the journey faster. (Faster at leaving the stops as the driver doesn't have to wait for the door to close etc..)

The_Wrecker · 14-12-2012 9:28pm

james142 wrote: »

The one thing I absolutely hated was seeing that ugly beast pull up at my stop. I never thought Id say this but I'm actually sad to see it go.

Thinking about it now, compared to the buses DB use today, the old RV560's seem to make the journey faster. (Faster at leaving the stops as the driver doesn't have to wait for the door to close etc..)

In 'Stillorgan Flyer' days the skulls (sorry valued customers) loved these new white machines with flashy blue seats (compared to mean green) seats of the odd RH that was on the QBC. Bright interior, heating that over powered the bus.

The explanations required if a driver took a 'Flyer' on another route.

It hit home in the mid 2000's when new drivers would be saying how they hated the RV type ~ poor things never had the pleasure of AD's RH's or the KD/KC.

end of the road · 14-12-2012 10:28pm

i'm not surprised to hear they were reliable, stuff built back then were basic, no crap in them unlike today where theirs to much electronics that to be honest are probably not needed, back then if their was a problem it could be fixed without complication, now days theirs thousands of wires for everything. i didn't like these busses myself, however i'm actually sorry to hear they have now gone. RIP.

The_Wrecker · 15-12-2012 1:47am

end of the road wrote: »

i'm not surprised to hear they were reliable, stuff built back then were basic, no crap in them unlike today where theirs to much electronics that to be honest are probably not needed, back then if their was a problem it could be fixed without complication, now days theirs thousands of wires for everything. i didn't like these busses myself, however i'm actually sorry to hear they have now gone. RIP.

Comman faults, non-closing centre doors, loose side engine panels, low oil pressure and dodgy air pressure readings that were sorted by tapping a coin on the dash gauges! In later life floods of water down the view scope.

_Kaiser_ · 16-12-2012 10:36pm

Were the Olympians any relation to the MAN SD200 as used in Germany in the mid 70s-mid 80s?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDIMt7q3eTU

There's more than a passing resemblence - except the German version had 2 staircases and used the centre doors as a matter of course, something we still haven't managed here

ax586 · 20-12-2012 8:50am

The Dublin Bus fleet is now 100% low floor poor RV560 was withdrawn yesterday

Losty Dublin · 20-12-2012 11:54am

ax586 wrote: »

The Dublin Bus fleet is now 100% low floor poor RV560 was withdrawn yesterday

Her last run was on the 11:12 departure on route 16 from Ballinteer to the Airport with a special running into Summerhill. Almost 23 years of what was once Leyland branded service on city routes has finally come to an end.

Farewell to the Olympian, Dublin's finest bus.

And then there was one..

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