Photo of the Week - Week 29:
Summerhill's SG621, the last Dublin Bus SG, is seen operating Route 33 on Shantalla Flyover on the 16th June 2020, sporting the new display reminding passengers that it is the law to wear a face mask (click on photo for larger version).
The last update to the website prior to the hiatus caused by Ireland's Covid lockdown dealt with some garage transfers from Harristown to Summerhill which allowed Summerhill to withdraw the last remaining AVs. This transfer was pending delivery of their own remaining SGs which had been held up by supply chain issues caused by Wrightbus going into administration and having to restart operations. However, soon after that update in April 2020, Summerhill began to receive the first of their remaining SGs, which are registered 201 D xxxx. The first to enter service were SG607, SG608, SG609 and SG613 on the 9th April, with all up to SG619 in service by the end of April, leaving just SG620 and SG621.
Summerhill's SG620 is seen operating Route 16 on Shantalla Road on the 1st July 2020 (click on photo for larger version).
SG620 entered service soon after on the 6th May, however it was nearly a further two months before the last of the batch, SG621 entered service on the 1st July 2020. By this stage Harristown's SGs had all returned to their home depot with the resumption of Monday-Friday schedules. And so completes the SG order with Hybrid AH buses on the horizon as the next order. There are still a number of SG equivalents pending delivery for Go-Ahead (115xx), but its interesting to note that today there are more SG-type buses on the road between Dublin Bus and Go-Ahead then there were ALX400s during their dominance of the 2000s.
Summerhill's SG612 is seen operating Route 16 on the Swords Road on the 1st July 2020 (click on photo for larger version).