Photo of the Week - Week 10:
Harristown's Alexander ALX400-bodied Volvo B7TL Wedding Bus, AV447, is seen operating a morning service on Route 70 to Baggot Street on the 14th March 2011.
AV447 and AV448 are the two wedding buses allocated to Harristown Depot in North Dublin. The last two AVs in the fleet, these buses are generally just peak hour Euro buses, rarely making it onto all day service. For a long time, AV447 was allocated in the evening to the 39B, however since its demise caused by the Blanchardstown Network Review in late October 2010, it has been observed on a variety of routes.
Things have somewhat settled at the moment and AV447 seems to be regular on peak duties on Blanchardstown services, though it can still appear on the 41X. Harristown are not the only one to give limited use to their Wedding buses. All garages operate a principle of protecting their Wedding Buses, ensuring limited operational hours or route allocation to those routes that have less antisocial behavious that could see these buses damaged.
Broadstone/Phibsborough's VG9 and VG10 are also peak time only, usually being found on the Lucan Corridor, though again they can stray onto the Blanchardstown services. Conyngham Road generally keep EV64 on the 151 or 68/69, Donnybrook usually keep AX545 on the 11s, though appearances on the 84X are quite regular. Ringsend's AX494 is strictly allocated to the 1, 2 and 3 services. Clontarf's EV88 and EV89 are nearly always on the 42s or 32s, though appearances on the 31 are also reasonably regular. Summerhill generally keep AV418 and AV419 on 16 and 41 services, though these can drift onto 20B or 33 at certain times.
Even though AV447 is generally a peak hour Euro bus it can occasionally stray.The photo below shows it operating Route 13 on the 21st December 2010. It had previously that morning done a lap on Route 27B.
Harristown's AV447 operating a rare service on Route 13 in Nassau Street in blizzard conditions on the shortest day of last year, the 21st December 2010. The bus almost blends in with the blizzard conditions!!.