RV Retrospective

Csalem

Currently we are seeing deliveries of new SGs and the replacement of the AVs but it was about this time four years ago we started to say the final farewells to the RVs. These were the last of 640 Olympians and were the last high-floor buses used by Dublin Bus. For the month of August I thought I would share some shots I took from those final four months, four years ago.

RV 549 on Dame Street with a 77A to Ringsend Road, 05/09/12. The bus was withdrawn in November 2012:
RV 549 Dame Street 05/09/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Tarabuses

Good idea, and looking forward to the photos.

Csalem

Today's shot shows RV 602 on Amiens Street working cross-city route 27 from Clare Hall to Jobstown. This bus was withdrawn by November. 21/08/2012.

RV 602 Amiens Street 21/08/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Csalem

Today's shot shows RV 556 on Abbey Street with a 41C from Swords Manor. Of course this is now the site of the Luas Cross City junction. This bus was withdrawn within a week of the photograph having been taken. 03/11/2012:

RV 556 Abbey Street 03/11/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

liger

Those RVs were a great bus to drive. I don't think anything in the current fleet comes close to them.

Csalem

Today's shot for our RV look back is of RV 629. It is seen operating a peak-hour extra on the 37 to Baggot Street. This bus was withdrawn by the 1st November. 02/10/2012:
RV 629 O'Connell Bridge 02/10/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Csalem

Donnybrook's RV 586 on D'Olier Street with a 4 to Blackrock. At the time some Donnybrook buses worked in as 46A and returned to Blackrock as a 4 to provide extra capacity on the corridor, before returning to the garage. This bus was withdrawn a month later. 27/09/12

RV 586 D'Olier Street 27/09/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Csalem

RV 609 crossing O'Connell Bridge with a 27 from Jobstown to Clare Hall. This bus was withdrawn by the end of October. 21/08/12:
RV 609 O'Connell Bridge 21/08/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Csalem

The seventh shot in our look back is of RV 604 on the 15B at the College Street stop. This is currently being rebuilt as a Luas stop as part of Luas Cross City works. This bus was withdrawn two weeks after the photograph was taken. 02/11/2012

RV 604 College Street 02/11/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Csalem

Day eight shows RV 568 on O'Connell Street with a 41 from Swords. This bus was withdrawn a month later. 10/09/12:
RV 568 O'Connell Street 10/09/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Csalem

Day nine has RV 626 on a peak-hour extra on the 39A to UCD Belfield. Again this bus was withdrawn later the same month. 02/10/12:
RV 626 D'Olier Street 02/10/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Csalem

Today we have RV 559 on the 16 to Dublin Airport. It was withdrawn on the 22nd November. a mere twenty days after this photo was taken. College Green, 02/11/12:
RV 559 College Green 02/11/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Csalem

Day 11 sees RV 597 on Roebuck Road near Clonskeagh with a 17 to UCD Belfield. This bus was withdrawn within a fortnight of this photograph being taken. 10/09/12:
RV 597 Roebuck Road 10/09/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Csalem

RV 623 on College Street with a 15A to Limekiln Avenue and not Grand Canal Dock as the destination shows. This bus was the second longest in service and was withdrawn on the 12th December 2012. Photograph taken on 08/11/12:

RV 623 College Street 08/11/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Csalem

Day 13 has RV 569 operating a 46A to Dun Laoghaire on College Street. At the time it was a Donnybrook bus, and it was withdrawn in October 2012 but before going it spent some time in Ringsend. 05/09/12:
RV 569 College Street 05/09/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Csalem

Day 14 has another shot of RV 569, this time it is seen on Ringsend route 77A after finishing its career in Donnybrook. 26/09/12:
RV 569 College Green 26/09/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Csalem

Today we have RV 598 in Blackrock on the 17. This bus was withdrawn on the 21st September 2012. 10/09/12:
RV 598 Blackrock 10/09/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Csalem

Day 16 and we have RV 559 on the 16 to Dublin Airport. This bus survived another two weeks before being withdrawn on the 22nd November 2012. The bus is still in service with Carolans. The Dublin Bus ad was quite popular on the RVs towards the end.07/11/12:
RV 559 Westmoreland Street 07/11/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Csalem

For day 17 we have a Harristown bus on route 17A. RV 587 is seen in Kilbarrack with a 17A from Blanchardstown. RVs had always been quite common on this route. This bus was withdrawn on the 21st November 2012. 01/11/12:
RV 587 Kilbarrack 01/11/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Csalem

For Day 18 we are back with Ringsend Garage and RV 603. This bus had an unusual destination box where some of the display was hidden. The bus is seen on the 15A to Grand Canal Dock. It was withdrawn on the 17th November 2012. 07/11/12

RV 603 Townsend Street 07/11/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Csalem

Going slightly further back into 2012 than the previous images but only because of the slightly unusual nature of the bus. RV 539 from Ringsend Garage, received a roller blind that had "Grand Canal Dock" on it. It also had Clongriffin. These were new Network Direct destinations and were a rare addition to the blind. A lot of buses with blinds at this time just went around just showing a yellow box for these destinations. The bus survived in service just over a month after this photo was taken. 17/02/12:
RV 539 St. Stephen's Green 17/02/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Csalem

RV 622 on Townsend Street with a 15A to Grand Canal Dock. This bus spent its final months going around with a little Dublin GAA jersey / air freshner in the destination box. The bus was withdrawn on the 9th November 2012 a week after the shot was taken. 01/11/12
RV 622 Fleet Street 01/11/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Csalem

For day 21 we have RV 607 on the 15 to Stocking Avenue seen here on Hawkins Street. This bus was withdrawn on the 5th December 2012 along with RV 608. These buses being the third and fourth last RVs in service. The Screen cinema in the photograph is also now closed. 28/11/12:
RV 607 Hawkins Street 28/11/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Csalem

For day 22 we have another shot of RV 626 but this time it is on route 38 to Damastown. 28/09/12

RV 626 O'Connell Street 28/09/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Csalem

For day 23 we have a shot of RV 586 departing Fleet Street with a 47 to Belarmine. This bus was withdrawn just over a month later. 05/09/12
RV 586 Fleet Street 05/09/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Csalem

For day 24 we are staying on Fleet Street but this time it is Ringsend's RV 604 on the 150. This bus was withdrawn on the 17th November 2012, making it to the final 15. 10/10/12:
RV 604 Fleet Street 10/10/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Csalem

For day 25 we have two for the price of one. RV 606 is seen on the 56A to Tallaght and not the City Centre as the destination shows while behind it is RV 620 on the 77A to City West. RV 606 was the fifth last RV to be withdrawn on the 3rd December while RV 620 was the sixth last RV to be withdrawn on the 28th November. 05/09/12:
RV 606 & RV 620 Dame Street 05/09/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Csalem

As we are coming near the end now I thought I would share with you today the one thar didn't want to give up. RV 574 is seen at Blanchardstown Shopping Centre on the 2nd November 2012, with a 239 to Liffey Valley. It was withdrawn at Harristown, along with the other two RVs there, on the 23rd November but then this bus came back for one more day on the 26th November. It was then withdrawn for the final time, being the seventh last RV in service, leap-frogging RV 621 which was withdrawn on the 24th November.

RV 574 Blanchardstown Shopping Centre 02/11/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Csalem

For day 27 we have Harristown's RV 588 on the 270 from Dunboyne. This bus was withdrawn on 12th November. 31/08/12:

RV 588 Blanchardstown Shopping Centre 31/08/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Csalem

Day 28 and as we get near the end of this look back it is time to feature the final RV. So for the last few days I will share some shots of RV 560. First up is this shot of RV 560 on D'Olier Street on the last day of November with a 16 to Ballinteer.

RV 560 D'Olier Street 30/11/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Csalem

For day 29 we have a shot from the official RV farewell tour on the 13th October 2012. Dublin Bus RVs 584 and 586 are seen at the Ardlea Road terminus of the 14 along with RV 475.

RV Farewell Run 13/10/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Csalem

For day 30 we have a shot of the final RV, RV 560, in Abbey Street with a 41C to Swords Manor. This was taken less than two weeks before the bus was finally withdrawn. 07/12/12:
RV 560 Abbey Street 07/12/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Csalem

And so we come to the end of our look back to four years ago. We end with RV 560 on Grange Road as it operates the last working by a high-floor bus and Olympian within Dublin Bus. It is on the 11:!2 from Ballinteer to Dublin Airport. 19/12/12:
RV 560 Grange Road 19/12/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Some of the other pictures I took over the final three months of Olympians can be found here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/60501971@N08/sets/72157631682867321

Enjoy, and thanks!

Cookie_Monster

Give us a final shot of brand new to service if you could
need to see something other than that horrid yellow

Csalem

Not brand new but maybe this will help. A footnote to the feature, here is a shot of preserved RH 7 on Cathal Brugha Street on the 20th December 2012. This was an enthusiasts special run on the day after RV 560 was withdrawn from service.
RH 7 Cathal Brugha Street 20/12/12 by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr