Throwback Thursday

This week we are going back 19 years to 1998. RA 246 is seen at the bus stop on Grafton Street while operating a service on route 10 to UCD Belfield from Phoenix Park. At the time the bus was only 3 years old but managed to stay in service for another decade and a half as it became a member of the tour fleet. It did lose its roof though for this new role, or at least some of it. This location ceased being a bus stop in 2014 with the start of Luas Cross CIty works. With the tram tracks coming through here it is not longer practical for buses to stop here, and this corner has been eased by extending the footpath. The bus is in an all-over ad for Eircell, one of the first mobile operators in Ireland. 1998 was when mobile phones were starting to appear, and were still a relatively novel technology at that time.
Finally, what can one say about the route 10. It was one of the more famous routes in Dublin and used by a lot of people over their lifetimes, either going to college in Belfield or the Zoo in the Phoenix Park. In 2010 the unthinkable happened when Dublin Bus abolished the route and replaced it with the 39A on the southside and 46A on the northside. 28/04/1998

Throwback Thursday (68) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

We are only going back five years this week for Throwback Thursday but to an important event in Dublin Bus history. This date in 2012 marked the second last day of a number of routes, namely the 2,3 and 16A. Other routes were also about to undergo changes, such as the 1, 16 and 44. All of this was part of the Network Direct review. When the 10 was abolished in 2010 it showed that no route was safe, and the 3 was next big casualty. It ran from Larkhill on the northside to UCD Belfield on the southside via Drumcondra and Ringsend. The 2 was a short version that went between the City Centre and Sandymount. Both routes had a lot of history to them but were replaced by a rerouted 1. The original 1 ran between the City Centre and the Pigeon House in the peaks but the new (and current) 1 goes from Santry to Sandymount. On the northside the new 1 replaced the 16, while the 44 replaced the 3 to Larkhill. EV 2 is seen on Townsend Street with a 3 to UCD Belfield while in the background is RV 620 at the then 44 terminus. 11/05/2012

Throwback Thursday (70) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Bit of a cross-over this week for Throwback Thursday. As mentioned in February this is the thirtieth anniversary of Dublin Bus. During those three decades the company has had a number of liveries for its core fleet. A selection of those, and same that came before Dublin Bus when it was still CIE, can be seen here in this shot taken at the Dublin Port Rally, 28/09/2014.
From left to right, we have KD 353 and D 839 in two-tone green for Dublin Bus, D 464 in tan for CIE and D 44 in white/navy blue also for CIE. In the distance is an SG in the current blue/yellow livery for Dublin Bus.
For a bit more history on the Dublin Bus core liveries of the last thirty years, check out this blog post on the Graphic Mint website:
http://graphicmint.com/blog/the-colours-of-dublin-city/

Throwback Thursday (71) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

A journey back to 2001 this week with RV 327 on the 14 to Ballinteer. This bus was delivered new to Dublin Bus in 1997, and along with RV 326 had the distinction of being the last new buses delivered in two-tone green. The bus was in Donnybrook from new and started its working career on the 14/A, where it stayed for many years. It was subsequently sold to a UK operator and was still being used in 2017, twenty years after delivery to Dublin.
The 14 at this time operated from the City Centre to Ballinteer, whereas now it is a cross-city route from Beaumont to Dundrum.
Finally it is in an all-over ad for TV 3, Ireland's first commercial national television station which started broadcasting in 1998. Nassau Street, 01/06/2001

Throwback Thursday (73) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

This week we are revisiting 1994 where we see RH 52 parked at Connolly Station. It is on the former "ramp" which went from the front door of the station down to ground level at Amiens Street. This was used throughout the day by the 90 bus which ran from the front of the station to Heuston Station, but was also used as a place to park buses between duties. The ramp was demolished in the early-2000s to make way for the Luas and is the site of the Luas Connolly stop on the Red Line.
The 31B is a route that is still with us today. It currently runs to Howth Summit via Sutton but twenty years ago the terminus was in Howth Village. The route today has far fewer departures than it did in 1994.
RH 52 had an interesting career as it survived until 2015, spending the last few years as the Uniform Bus. It was used to transport bus driver uniforms between garages. 14/06/1994

Throwback Thursday (75) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

A slightly unusual Throwback Thursday this week as I have very little information on the bus. All i can say is that the bus is KD 273. It was based in Donnybrook Garage and it is in an all-over ad as Euro Bus, celebrating the people of the European Union.
It is seen on St. Stephen's Green, at what was once the location of a number of bus stops for a lot of routes in the city, but were subsequently relocated when the Luas Green Line opened, thirteen years ago this week. 27/06/1990

Throwback Thursday (77) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

This week we are going back to 2009. RV 541 is seen departing the 130 terminus on Abbey Street with a service to Castle Avenue. The Volvo Olympians were quite common on the route at the time, getting some of the oldest buses in the garage. Today though the 130 has some variety on the route, with anything from 13 year old AVs to 1 year old SGs appearing on it. The route was formed in 1996 with the merging of the routes 30 and 44A. It started under the City Imp brand before merging back into the standard route network. It is a high-frequency route serving Fairview, Clontarf and Dollymount, and is operated out of Clontarf Garage. RV 541 was withdrawn in 2010. 13/07/2009

Throwback Thursday (79) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

This week we are going back to 1989. KD 346 is seen heading along Dame Street with a 19 to Glasnevin from Rialto. The bus is in an all-over ad for Manhattan Peanuts and Popcorn, a company that is still running today and producing these products.
The same cannot be said of the bus nor the route. The bus survived for nearly another decade before ending its days in Phibsborough Garage. The route ended (controversially) in August 2011 under Network Direct. It was replaced in part on the northside by the 83/A and on the southside by the 122 and 68A. 27/07/1989

Throwback Thursday (81) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

As I am going away today for the next few days I decided to post Throwback Thursday a day earlier rather than skipping it altogether. It also seems appropriate it is a Dublin Airport shot!

It is just a short hop back this week to 2015 and AV 130. AV 130 was one out of 15 buses Dublin Bus bought for the Airlink in 2000. They were different from the other AVs ordered at that time because they had a center-door. In fact these were the last buses ordered with a center door, bringing to an end nearly twenty-five years of this bus feature in Dublin. The next bus to be ordered with a center door was GT 1 in 2012, and all new bus orders since then have had this feature.
By the start of 2015 there were only a handful of these ex-Airlink AVs left in service (123, 128 & 130), usually on the 16 but could appear on other Summerhill routes. By the start of August 2015 they started to be withdrawn with 123 and 128 going in the first week. AV 130 was not expected to last. It is seen here in Dublin Airport on the 10th August and it was thought to be its last day as it had to cut its duty short due to a wheel problem. However it made it out for one more day before finally being withdrawn. Dublin Airport, 10/08/2015

Throwback Thursday (83) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

This week we are throwing back to a throwback! In 2011, Dublin Bus was still undertaking the Network Direct re-organisation of the bus network in the capital. In August of that year it made its presence known to routes 19 and 19A. These were considered some of the premier routes in the city, up there with the 3, 10 and 46A. However Network Direct took no prisoners and the 19 from Jamestown Road to Bulfin Road was abolished and the 19A from Jamestown Road to Limekiln Avenue regenerated into the 9. The last day of both routes was Saturday 27th August, but on the Wednesday before a special run was organised with preserved Leyland Olympian RH 7. It is seen here at the Bulfin Road terminus of the 19 before heading cross city to Finglas.
Incidentally, this was also the day Steve Jobs resigned from Apple. 24/08/2011

Throwback Thursday (85) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

^Thanks!

This week we are going back to the year 2000. WV 7 is at the 150 terminus on Hawkins Street with a service to Rossmore. The bus is a year old at this point, and is one out of what will be a fleet of fifty-two midi-buses. These are bigger than a minibus and smaller than a standard single-decker bus. At the time the 150 route was still part of the City Imp brand, but within a few short years this had been dropped.
At this time this end of Hawkins Street allowed traffic to access Burgh Quay. Now things are different. Traffic can only go one way on Hawkins Street, from the quays towards College Street. The spot where the bus stop is, is now on the route Luas Cross City tram line. Since the picture was taken the 150 has shifted terminii a few times, spending the longest on Fleet Street, but in recent times has returned to Hawkins Street, but of course facing the opposite way. The 150 today is operated by double-decker buses. Two WVs survive in service but mainly on the 44B. 10/09/2000

Throwback Thursday (87) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

A trip back this week to 2003. DT 4 is seen on O'Connell Street with a service on route 19 from Jamestown Road to Bulfin Road. DT 4 was one of the ten Dennis Tridents delivered to Dublin Bus in 2003. Since 2000 Dublin Bus had received buses from Alexander which later became Alexander Dennis. The buses were delivered with ALX 400 bodies but with Volvo chasis/engines (AV/AX Class). The DT represented a complete package from Alexander Dennis. Although these were a more powerful bus than the standard AV Dublin Bus only received these 10, whereas they received 649 Vovo versions over six years. Now in 2017 the DT Class is about to be withdrawn and replaced with new SG types from Wrights. Today the class can normally be found on peak-time extras and operate out of Harristown Garage.
It is interesting to note that the bus has no ad-frames but were later fitted. 21/09/2003

Throwback Thursday (89) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

It is 2001 and RV 592 is seen at the bus terminus in UCD Belfield. It is waiting to depart with a 50X to Killinarden in Tallaght. the 50X had a lifespan of just under 20 years, starting in 1990 as part of the CitySpeed brand and ending in April 2009 during the review of the network and the removal of low usage routes. Although as the crow flies the distance between Tallaght and UCD is not great, the bus route operated via the City Centre, which added to its route length. Although route 50 was operated by Ringsend Garage, the 50X was one of the extra duties operated by Broadstone Garage.
The terminus at UCD Belfield has now been relocated and this location is now a lake and green area. The bus was withdrawn in 2011. 09/10/2001

Throwback Thursday (91) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

This week we are going back to 1989 and to a curious bus on O'Connell Street. MB 13 is seen parked outside the Dublin Bus head office. The MB class was the first new bus type delivered to Dublin Bus after the company's inception in 1987. MB 1-5 were delivered in 1987 but were shorter than the subsequent MB 6-15. The latter were delivered in 1988 and 1989. The buses were used on a variety of services around the city,such as the Localink routes in Tallaght based around The Square Shopping Centre and the Nipper route in Dublin city centre. MB 13 was based in Donnybrook Garage, and all members of the fleet were withdrawn by Dublin Bus in 1994. The destination on the bus is Killakee, which is a place located in South Dublin beyond Rockbrook, and near the Hell Fire Club. However this destination is referring to Killakee Road which was the terminus of one of the Tallaght local routes. The number is set to T00 as the bus is out of service. 21/10/1989

Throwback Thursday (93) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr