Photo of the Week - Week 40:
Conyngham Road's GT26 is seen at the East Road terminus of Route 151 on the 23rd September 2012. The 151 had previously just laid over at this point, picking at the next stop down on East Road. However, from July this stop is now also the first pick up stop.
After the successful conversion of Route 7, and associated Routes 7B, 7D and 8, to GT class operation in Donnybrook, Conyngham Road has been next to receive the GT class. The first GTs entered service from this garage on Monday the 17th September 2012 on Route 151. With Route 151 to be fully converted, Conyngham Road will eventually have GT22-GT31. In service last weekend (22nd/23rd September), was GT22, GT26, GT29 and GT30. DublinBusStuff eventually caught up with GT22 at East Wall on Sunday the 23rd. However, Saturday was a day of dissapointment. Three times I descended on East Wall, each time waiting for a GT. In two cases there was an hour gap in the 20min service, the third time a 40min gap and then two AVs. So no GTs and a lot of hanging around East Wall for nothing. Clearly the East Wall leg is dropped when the rediculously low running time runs into trouble on Saturday afternoon, but from my observations it clearly demonstates the lack of operational knowledge within the National Transport Authority. However, I'm not sure dropping 2 services in a row on one section of route should be a fallback operational technique.
Conyngham Road's GT22 is seen on Memorial Bridge on Route 151 on the 23rd September 2012, with a view showing off their middle doors.
Conyngham Road's GT26 is seen on East Road turning onto Sherrif Street on Route 151 on the 23rd September 2012.
The Foxborough terminus is also not great for photos. Mainly because there really isn't one. Most buses show up to Foxborough with Out of Service on the front, generally applied waiting at the traffic lights on the Outer Ring Road to turn onto the Balgaddy Road. The reason for this is because the terminus on the Balgaddy Road is not ideal and there has been much local opposition to the buses laying over at this location. Instead most buses head back along the inbound route to layover on the Outer Ring Road, hence the need to remove the 151 from the scrolls as it will be passing some inbound stops. With a minute or so to spare, the bus will return and pull in if someone is waiting on it. Thus its a difficult place to get a shot. I was lucky with GT29, as the driver obeyed the operational manual to a key, showing up at the stop with just about 2mins to spare. Enough time for a shot in any case.
GT29 is seen at the Foxborough terminus of Route 151 on the 22nd September 2012 about to depart to East Wall on the 22nd September 2012.