Favourite CIÉ / Dublin Bus / Bus Éireann bus type?

WomanSkirtFan8

just wondering, what are people's favourite CIE bus types?

I know it wasn't a favourite with everyone but my personal favourite type were the KD-Class Bombardiers on my home route of the 84 in the late 1980s / early 1990s. Ah the memories!!

Second to those, would be the CIE's Standard D's as they were the very first CIE bus I ever encountered as a kid.

Cookie_Monster

AD class was a favourite of mine for no particular reason other than the look of them.

steveblack

The KD was junk and the AD was a pain to drive with the huge tail swing. Good riddance to both.

V.W.L 11

KC''s KD's KE's KR's,DA's,mk1 VWL's and the D class Vanhools,just a few but to name

dublinman1990

My past one's from Dublin Bus would be the RH's, RA's, RV's, AD's, KD's and KC's. The favourite ones of mine from now are the AV's, AX's, DT's, VG's and GT's.

My favourite buses from Bus Eireann would be the VC's, KD's, KCS's, KE's, KS's and the Bus Eireann Gemini's.

WomanSkirtFan8

dublinman1990 wrote: »

My past one's from Dublin Bus would be the RH's, RA's, RV's, AD's, KD's and KC's. The favourite ones of mine from now are the AV's, AX's, DT's, VG's and GT's.

My favourite buses from Bus Eireann would be the VC's, KD's, KCS's, KE's, KS's and the Bus Eireann Gemini's.

yeah. My favourites at the moment are the AV's, AX's, EV's and GT's. From the past, as I've already said, the KD's and the Standard D-Class Atlanteans (the first CIE bus I ever encountered as a child on the 84 when I was about 7)

dfx-

I think with the typical generation on boards, you'd get a lot of favourites being between the 80s and 90s, more likely the KDs and the Olympians.

And I'm another, RAs here, specifically the Ringsend RAs. Second favourite would be a brand new RV though they were in poor condition by the end.

Nowadays, AVs are by a very long way my favourite though the good ones are becoming more scarce. I quite like EVs and VTs as well, I can't stand AXs and VGs or GTs.

islanderre

A VC or CVH / EVH for expressway....

City Bus it would be the KR or KC

corktina

steveblack wrote: »

The KD was junk and the AD was a pain to drive with the huge tail swing. Good riddance to both.

there we have the difference between the Observer and the Driver, Handsome isn't necessarily as handsome does.

V.W.L 11

corktina wrote: »

there we have the difference between the Observer and the Driver, Handsome isn't necessarily as handsome does.

i agree,i never drove a KD but there was something about them as an outsider which made them come across as attractive,the downside was the gas guzzling 2 stroke cummins and detroit engines but hey as an enthusiast i still love them even now after they have long since left our streets.

newmug

Pictures people, PICTURES! Ya cant just go around talking about KD's and KC's without some sort of pleasurable visual material!

V.W.L 11

newmug wrote: »

Pictures people, PICTURES! Ya cant just go around talking about KD's and KC's without some sort of pleasurable visual material!

Plenty of them over on Flickr:D sadly its not my material:(

smellmepower

Either the KD's (great childhood memories of going in to town with my granda on them,the insanely loud engine roaring!) or RV's when they were brand new,in Cityswift livery.

I'm quite fond of the '97 and '98 RVs with the Voith transmission. There was just something about sitting downstairs and listening to it. :pac:

testarossa40

dfx- wrote: »

I think with the typical generation on boards, you'd get a lot of favourites being between the 80s and 90s, more likely the KDs and the Olympians.

And I'm another, RAs here, specifically the Ringsend RAs. Second favourite would be a brand new RV though they were in poor condition by the end.

Nowadays, AVs are by a very long way my favourite though the good ones are becoming more scarce. I quite like EVs and VTs as well, I can't stand AXs and VGs or GTs.

Curious to know what differences you find between AVs & AXs from a passenger's pov? I know the AX have slightly uprated engines and a different electrical system, but to this "untrained" eye, I personally I find them equally pleasant if indistinguishable!

As for my own favourites...:
Legacy: VA>KD>RV
Current: AV/X - still waiting after all these years for my first experience of the DT unless the original white demo unit counts?

testarossa40

testarossa40 wrote: »

Curious to know what differences you find between AVs & AXs from a passenger's pov? I know the AX have slightly uprated engines and a different electrical system, but to this "untrained" eye, I personally I find them equally pleasant if indistinguishable!

The only differences I can see are that they seem to change gear at different revs to the AVs, and the stop buttons on the handrails are different to those on the AV/VG/GT. They're the type also used on the EVs.

testarossa40 wrote: »

As for my own favourites...:
Legacy: VA>KD>RV
Current: AV/X - still waiting after all these years for my first experience of the DT unless the original white demo unit counts?

DTs have been somewhat regular on the 17A for a while, have seen at least two rostered on them most mornings and evenings. Not a particularly nice route but if you want a spin on one...

Rawr

I have nostalgic memories of being on KD buses when I was little, coupled with a lot of RVs. I remember having an odd fascination with the side-ways seat-plank that was in the RV near the driver, that could sit about 2-3 people. If I remember right, the KD had normal seats there.

In my college days I have fond memories for the AD, but in particular for the ME/MA 'CityImp' minibusses that also ran on the 121. I loved traveling on the CityImps (or LocalLinks as I noticed sometimes on the livery) as they seemed to be more comfortable and were very quick to board and exit.

In modern times, I mostly like GT. This is due to the front seat on the right row of the upper saloon. It is the only seat between the stair-well and front window and has a ton of leg room Best seat in Dublin Bus I feel.

foggy_lad

For me it has to be the bus eireann SE & LE coaches. They are more comfortable and quieter than anything they had before and certainly cleaner than any of the current 6-12 year old buses that are well past their best thanks to no interior cleaning or maintenance.

Some drivers have issues over power claiming they are both a bit sluggish in town/tight spaces but when they can get through the narrow streets of Kilkenny at 8.30pm with traffic and pedestrians everywhere they are good enough and the drivers will get used to them and the little foibles that make those buses as unique as every other class.

Long Time Lurker

MGs. 12 metre Leopard with a mid mounted Detroit. Strange and unique to Ireland creation. What a roar.

dfx-

testarossa40 wrote: »

Curious to know what differences you find between AVs & AXs from a passenger's pov? I know the AX have slightly uprated engines and a different electrical system, but to this "untrained" eye, I personally I find them equally pleasant if indistinguishable!

As for my own favourites...:
Legacy: VA>KD>RV
Current: AV/X - still waiting after all these years for my first experience of the DT unless the original white demo unit counts?

I find the best AVs to be a lot smoother. If you are lucky enough to get some of the recently repaired Harristown 2000 AVs before they're sold (AV154 - AV160), they are very smooth journeys.

AXs creak and rattle particularly midway down their leftside (kerbside) and as you say they are all the same/indistinguishable.

_Kaiser_

AV/AX from the current batch - I remember getting the demonstrator that later made its way to AMC (and ended up in shyte soon thereafter) every day too. The only downside is I think they look far better in dual-door configuration than the single-door version we got (Airlinks aside).

Also remembering being on KD1 back in the day and it being subtly different from the rest.. though I can't remember specifically what anymore!

Also the later D's like this:



Stairs were lethal though! The amount of time I nearly fell down them!

For some reason I've always looked at those and the KD as the "spiritual" forerunners to the RH/A/V and AV/X respectively

_Kaiser_

Oh and I remember getting on Bernard Kavanagh's brown-livered Scania Irizar with the double rear axle back in the mid 90s and it was amazing.. sooo comfortable and very well specced compared to the JJ and BE options of the day

Totally Tropical

Hi i only just found this section of Boards.ie and i would be bit of a bus nerd myself.My favourite city bus (apart from the KC'S and the KD'S buses) would be the Bus Eireann Volvo 2000 registered VWL city buses in Cork.I think those buses along with the double door 1999 registered VWL city buses (which were withdrawn from service far too soon) were the best city buses that Bus Eireann ever bought.I love the roar off the engine of the 2000 registered VWLS when their in full flight.Im not much of a fan of the later model VWLS.The DPCS on the other hand were the worst city buses Bus Eireann ever bought.They were absolute junk.I was very sad when the Limerick and Galway based Mercedes MC city buses were withdrawn.They were great buses it's sad seeing them lying idle at the back of Roxborough bus garage.Here is a picture of a 2000 registered VWL city bus.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/be216cd1/6352129400/in/set-72157626448815262

The VWD double decker buses are the best Bus Eireann city buses since the 1999/2000 registered VWLS.

WomanSkirtFan8

"Also remembering being on KD1 back in the day and it being subtly different from the rest.. though I can't remember specifically what anymore! "

From what I'hve heard and read about KD1 it was the fact that the interior was the same as on the Atlantean fleet. It also had a rear destination number box which was apparently discontinued after a while.

"For some reason I've always looked at those and the KD as the "spiritual" forerunners to the RH/A/V and AV/X respectively
yes indeed. I suppose that you could look at it like that. One could almost call them the "ancestors" of the current Dublin Bus fleet.

Of the current fleet, the EV's and GT's are my favourites so far.

fav would have to be the KD's thats just as a observer though

Get Real

Hi all,

I know nothing about bus types etc, so apologies for my ignorance, however thats not to say they don't interest me.

I find it an enjoyable coincidence that this thread was trending when I logged in.

I was on the number 9 into work this morning. It was a bus that I'd never been on before. Didn't show up on the real time either.

Further googling and I can confirm that its a DM1 volvo/wright (?) B5TL 5.1 litre.

Inside, the "wall" for going up the stairs was entire glass. Upstairs the roof was slightly lower and the windows smaller and darkened, kind of felt like being in a plane! Heres the pics:

http://www.dublinbuses.com/demos2014/index.html

was this just a chance replacement and a one off? Is it being phased in as the webpage suggests?

thanks

edit:stairwell in particular

Trebor176

It's a demonstation model, which has been on trial for the last couple of months or so on the 9. Another demo (DM2), which is a hybrid Wright Gemini 3 B5LH in a green livery, is also being trialled on route 151.

Dublin Bus have started to take delivery of brand new B5TLs (SG class), some of which have already entered service on the 7 and 37, and will also be allocated to routes 17A, 27B and 42. These are similar to DM1 as above, but don't have the glass "wall."

Images of the SG class: http://www.dublinbuses.com/sg/sgindex.html

Also to note, both demonstrators will be heading to the UK in a few weeks after their trial here.

I saw an SG this morning. Thought it looked awful. Not convinced about the tiny engines in them either.

macroman

Karsini wrote: »

I saw an SG this morning. Thought it looked awful. Not convinced about the tiny engines in them either.

Took a spin of one as a passenger on my break earlier, moderately impressed by the take off from such a puny engine. The centre doors did jam open leaving it stranded at a stop - I abandoned ship as I had to drive the people of Fingerless home... in a trusty, soon to be ousted 00 AV which went like a train and had working doors

Peregrine

The first time I saw DM1, I thought it was a wedding bus!

dfx-

Front of the SG doesn't look as bad and the back looks alright. Haven't been on one yet, but saw SG17 tonight. The squashed small windows upstairs looks as ridiculous on the road as they did in pictures.

DM1 also has squashed small windows upstairs and feels very cramped.

Rotunda Shill

Atlantians were my favourite "New Bus" as kids we use to always get the Leyland Taitans to school. If a bus was chartered for a match an Atlantian would always turn up.

DT1

The AV's are my favourite followed by DT's. I love the AV's because of how they sound. If you blindfold me and put me on any AV with an 00, 01 or an 02 reg I can tell you what AV it is just by listening to it as they all have their unique sound. It kind of gets boring after the 02 reg and especially 03. AX's then bore me sometimes.