Throwback Thursday

Losty Dublin wrote: »

It was still there thus summer

Are you sure? I photographed it two years ago, heard it was removed September last year and when I went back this Easter I could not find it.

Photo from November 2017:
Blast from the Past (1) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

A trip back to 2011 this week to see AV 120 on the 16A to Nutgrove. It is seen passing through Drumcondra on Dublin's northside as it heads south. AV 120 was delivered new to Dublin Bus in 2000. It was part of an order to operate Airlink services between Dublin City Centre and Dublin Airport. AV 116 to AV 128 were delivered in the special Airlink livery, while AV 129 and AV 130 were delivered in standard Dublin Bus livery. However all of them were delivered as dual-door buses. These were the last dual-door buses delivered until 2012 when the GT class started to arrive. Since then, every double-decker bus delivered to Dublin Bus has been dual-door. The arrival of the GT class in 2012 also heralded the beginning of the end for the AV class. AV 120 itself was withdrawn in 2013, having joined the regular fleet around 2009 when new VG-class buses arrived for the Airlink. And now in September 2019 the last of the 448-strong AV class is about to be withdrawn. The extremely similar AX-class will continue for a while, but the AV holds the distinction of being the first class of low-floor double-decker bus in the Dublin Bus fleet.
The 16A used to run from Nutgrove on the southside to Dublin Airport on the northside. It was merged with the 16 (Ballinteer to Santry) in 2012 under Network Direct, with the route going from Ballinteer to Dublin Airport.
Drumcondra, 11/09/2011

Throwback Thursday (192) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

A trip to 2012 this week to see VT 35 on the 116. This is one of the routes that only operates in the peaks, Monday to Friday. Currently the route runs from Whitechurch to Parnell Square, going via Dundrum, Sandyford and Stillorgan. Interestingly, the return journey starts on Leeson Street in the afternoon as it is aimed at returning school children home.
The route was introduced in May 1999 and over the years it has had a number of variations. For example, back in its early days it separate departures started in Whitechurch, Ballinteer, Clonskea and Sandyford. Three of these operated to Parnell Square (East or West), while two continued onto the northside to Dublin City University. There were five return workings from the city centre, two of which were in the morning after 9am. But by 2012 it was down to the two departures a day as mentioned before.
VT 35 was part of the second batch of Enviro 500s delivered to Dublin in 2007. 50 members of the class came that year following an initial delivery of 20 in 2005. VT 35 was originally allocated to Broadstone garage . but when the 145 was extended to Heuston Station in 2010, VT 21 to VT 35 moved to Donnybrook to join VT 1 to VT 20 there. Dublin is one of the few cities in the world where the Enviro 500 operates.
Westmoreland Street, 26/09/2012

Throwback Thursday (194) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

It is a trip back to 2012 to see RV 604 in its final days with Dublin Bus. The bus had been delivered exactly 13 years previously in October 1999. It was withdrawn in November 2012, a month after this photograph was taken and a month before the final Olympian was withdrawn. The bus went on to have a second career in Scotland, and was observed in service around Perth (Scotland) in 2018.
The bus is seen here on route 150. The destination is displaying "Willington", although the more usual display was "Rossmore". The 150 commenced in 1994 under the City Imp brand and replaced route 50. City Imp saw mini-buses replacing more usual buses on routes, but operating to a higher frequency. Over time these routes became more popular and larger buses were placed on them until they all became part of the standard Dublin bus network with double-decker buses operating them.
Willington was the terminus of the 50 before the 150 came along and was extended to Rossmore. The current 150 terminus on Orwell Road in Rossmore is not far from Willington Roundabout.
Fleet Street was a city centre terminus for many different bus routes over the years. However, with the coming of the Luas Cross City around 2016, terminating buses had to be moved and only through routes stop here now to drop passengers off. The 150 terminus did not move too far, only going to Hawkins Street around the corner. 10/10/2012

Throwback Thursday (196) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

I am not sure how it operates but I assume one of the tree-cutter team or a mechanic drives the bus rather than a regular driver.

I don't think Bus Eireann every had one.

Joker2019 wrote: »

I wonder how the GAI routes manage for tree cutting on stretches of road only served by them. Do DB do it for the NTA. I know for example DB are in charge of stop maintenance for all bus stop served by DB and GAI under an NTA contract. Is there a similar agreement in place for tree cutting I wonder?

Yes, Dublin Bus cut the trees on behalf of the NTA.

This week we are going back a mere two years to 2017 (which is also twenty-one months after Throwback Thursday started). WV 52 is seen at the terminus of the 44B in Glencullen. This is one of the more remote terminus on the Dublin Bus network and the 44B is one of the more infrequent routes. It runs between here and Dundrum, passing the famous Johnnie Fox's Pub on the way. The route dates back to the 1930s when it used to run to the City Centre and was more frequent at the weekends as it brought walkers to the Dublin Mountains. In 2009 it was cut back to Dundrum, and only had a service in the morning peak and the afternoons. There was a Saturday only service to Ranelagh but it too was dropped in 2012.
The route is one of the most scenic in Dublin, as it climbs up out of Dundrum to Glencullen, providing great views over the city and has been known to the bus engine under some strain.
WV 52 was delivered to Dublin Bus in 2001 and was the last member of the WV Class, and therefore the last single-decker delivered to Dublin Bus until the WS Class arrived in 2017. Due to the nature of the route, only single-deck buses can be used. Three WVs were kept in service for the 44B while the rest of the Dublin Bus fleet was double-decker. WV 50 was the first to go in early 2017 and WV 51 and WV 52 were replaced by two Wright Streetlites (WS 1 and WS 2) which were purchased specifically to operate the 44B. The first one went into service on the 1st December 2017 and the WVs were then withdrawn from service. WV 52 was the only one to receive an LED destination. 31/10/2017

Throwback Thursday (199) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

So we have made it to the two hundredth Throwback Thursday and although there are over 50 years between these buses, the photograph was only taken in 2016.SG 30 is seen in Dalkey at the 8 terminus alongside RA 30. The 8 bus route could trace its origins back to the Dublin tram network and for most of its existence connected Dalkey with the City Centre, going via Dun Laoghaire and Blackrock. With the introduction of DART rail services in the mid-1980s, passengers numbers began to drop as the route paralleled the railway line. Dublin Bus cancelled the route in 2001, giving passengers one day's notice, but a successful challenge in the European courts saw the route return in 2005. However it was rerouted slightly, being taken out fo Dun Laoghaire and serving Mounttown Road instead. However it was a short-term return and in 2016 Dublin Bus along with the NTA reorganised the routes around Dun Laoghaire. The 8 was finally withdrawn this time, replaced in part by an extended 111.
SG 30 is seen with the final departure back to Dublin from Dalkey. This bus was delivered new to Dublin Bus in 2014 and is one of over 650 of the type delivered to the city between 2014 and 2019. The buses were built by Wrights in Ballymena, a company which had some difficulty in 2019, but was later taken over.
Preserved RA 30 shadowed the last 8 from Dublin to mark the end of an era. This bus was delivered new to Donnybrook in 1959 before transferring to Clontarf in 1976. It was withdrawn in early 1982 and entered preservation.
On a final note it is no coincidence that SG 30 was out for the last trip with RA 30. RA 30 used to be regular on the 8 when it was in Donnybrook.
Dalkey, 11/11/2016

Throwback Thursday (200) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

A jaunt back to 1985 and D 360 on Eden Quay at the terminus of route 6. This route connected the city centre with the Blackrock area. For a while there was also a 6A that was extended to Sandyford Industrial Estate in 1980. These routes were part of a number of routes that served the Rock Road, along with the 5, 7, 7A and 8. In 1987, after Dublin Bus was formed, the 6A was removed from the network, followed by the 6 in 1989. In 2019 the main routes to Blackrock from the city centre are the 4, 7 and 7A.
D 360 had a varied career. It was delivered new to Dublin in 1970. It was withdrawn from regular service in 1987 and became the tree lopper. This work involved it losing its roof so trees along bus routes could be trimmed from the top deck. It lasted in this role a few months when it became a special events bus and was used on occasions such as Stephen Roche's return following his win of the Tour de France. It was eventually withdrawn from the fleet at the end of 1993. 20/11/1985

Throwback Thursday (202) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

With just twenty-days to Christmas in 1988 (and 2019) D 756 is getting in the festive spirit on Westmoreland Street. Launched just two days previously, the bus was used on a special shuttle service between the city centre and Dublin Zoo. The interior was also decorated with Christmas lights hanging from the roof both upstairs and downstairs. Passengers paid a special fare which also included a visit to Santa at the zoo. The shuttle service ran for just under three weeks before finishing on December 21st.
D 756 was delivered new to Dublin in 1975 and was withdrawn in 1993. It had a colourful career, literally, as to prior to being repainted into the "Dublin Zoo Santa Bus" livery it was in an all-over ad for Philips Philishave. Early in 1989 it was repainted into an all-over ad looking for blood donors.
It is interesting to note the bus in the background emerging from Fleet Street onto Westmoreland Street. This part of Fleet Street used to be home to a number of routes and was two-way. Now in 2019 it is one of the more busier parts of Temple Bar and although traffic can still access the street, they can only do so one-way, from Westmoreland Street. No bus routes serve here anymore.
Finally D 756 is parked outside what was one of the landmarks of Dublin - Bewley's Cafe. Their first presence on the street was in 1896 but the company contracted in the early-2000s and this branch closed down. It then became a Starbucks and is currently a TGI Friday's. There has been a lot of change in the last thirty-one years. 05/12/1988

Throwback Thursday (204) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr