Buses: Throwback Thursday

[Suzieq]

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

Wow I remember that livery!

[Csalem]

Travelling back 21 years this week to 1996. KD 114 is parked on Marlborough Street between duties on the 28. This route operated between Edenmore and Dublin City Centre and when this photo was taken the route only had two months left in its existence. It was replaced by the 42A, before it itself was replaced by the 27A in 2011. When the bus finished its passenger carrying career it went on to become a driver trainer. In January 2001 it took part in the special runs to mark the end of Bombardier buses in Dublin. The location in the photograph is in the process of becoming a stop on the Luas Cross City line. Marlborough Street, 04/05/1996

Throwback Thursday (69) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

[Csalem]

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

[Csalem]

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

[Suzieq]

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

Interesting blog Csalem. Thanks for sharing.

[Csalem]

This week it is a trip back to 2013, to a scene that has changed a lot. RA 216 is seen on Suffolk Street operating the Dublin Bus City Tour. In February 2017 this was rebranded as DoDublin and a new livery was introduced. The tour itself underwent a revision of its route in May 2017.
RA 216 was introduced to the fleet in 1995 and was the first RA to be delivered in CitySwift livery. In 2001 it joined the tour fleet before being withdrawn in 2014.
Suffolk Street at this time was the main route for buses making their way from the southside to the northside but Luas Cross City works saw it closed off and it will probably never reopen again to traffic. Most bus routes were diverted via Pearse Street. 24/05/2013

Throwback Thursday (72) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

[Csalem]

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

[Csalem]

Going back 29 years this week and to D 376 on O'Connell Street. It is on the 10 from the Phoenix Park to UCD Belfield. This was one of the more famous and popular routes in Dublin, and has featured here before, but was removed from the network in 2010. D 376 entered service in 1970, so was already 18 years old when this photograph was taken. However it survived through the 1990s as it joined the Tour fleet and was repainted into the navy blue/cream livery. It certainly was not looking the best when this photograph was taken in 1988. Finally this bus stop outside the Savoy cinema is not used by Dublin Bus anymore and one is more likely to see private tour buses here now. 08/06/1988

Throwback Thursday (74) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

[Csalem]

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

[Csalem]

Sort of a topical throwback this week as we revisit 1989. D 474 is seen on Marlborough Street at the junction with Abbey Street. It is on route 20B which operated to the City Centre from Ardlea Road in Beaumont. This route lasted until 2011, when it was merged with the 14 to become a cross-city route to Dundrum.
Where the bus is parked in the shot is to become the location of a Luas tram stop in late 2017. The Red Line uses Abbey Street to get from Docklands to Tallaght, and the Luas Cross City line from Broombridge to St. Stephen's Green uses Marlborough Street. This location is the junction between two lines, and on Saturday 17th June 2017 the first test tram ran on this route. The full cross city tram route is due to open December 2017. 22/06/1989

Throwback Thursday (76) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

[Csalem]

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

[Csalem]

This week we are going back to 1990. KD 365 is seen heading south on O'Connell Street with an 11B to Belfield. It is passing the now closed Clery's department store. The bus was originally meant to be the last one in the KD fleet, but after KD 111 was written off in an accident an extra bus was built which became KD 366. The bus is also in an all-over ad for Mars chocolate. 07/07/1990

Throwback Thursday (78) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

[Suzieq]

This week we are going back to 1990. KD 365 is seen heading south on O'Connell Street with an 11B to Belfield. It is passing the now closed Clery's department store. The bus was originally meant to be the last one in the KD fleet, but after KD 111 was written off in an accident an extra bus was built which became KD 366. The bus is also in an all-over ad for Mars chocolate. 07/07/1990

Throwback Thursday (78) by Cathal O'Brien, on Flickr

Love this thread.

[Csalem]

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

[Suzieq]

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

Only used that route a few times.