Photo of the Week - Week 6:
Donnybrook's Wright Crusader 2 bodied Volvo B6BLE, WV44, is seen operating Route 17 on the Belfield Flyover on the 5th February 2011.
Route 17 in its current form is 40years old, having previously been associated with Route 16 services. It replaced Route 82 which had operated from Kimmage to Terenure. In fact it covers the exact 82 routing from Dolphin's Barn to Terneure. It had begun to operate as a Sunday only seaside special betwen Terenure and Blackrock a few months earlier.
The route was extended to Rialto in the early 1980s. In the early 1990s, the 17 service operated via the Blackrock Campus of UCD. It operated down Avoca Avenue, however due to the annoyance of local residents the route reverted back to Mount Merrion Avenue. In fact to this day the UCD Blackrock campus map still refers to the Avoca Avenue Route 17 service, though its nearly 20years sincer the route operated that way.
Donnybrook's Alexander R-bodied Volvo Olympian, RV567, is seen at Blackrock Station awaiting a departure to Railto on the last day of 2010. The Dolphin's Barn destination harks back to the days prior to the Rialto extension.
The Donnybrook RVs are the regulars on Route 17, with an occasion AV also to be seen. WV44's assignment on Saturday the 5th February 2010 was a rarity, with only the most occasional peak hour service on this route being WV operated. The rain never stopped all day, and with the terrible weather, the resulting traffic jams ensured that Route 17 was not operating fully to schedule. Hence WV44 operated a short service to Belfield to make its time, showing the significance of this university to the cross city route.
Donnybrook's WV44 is seen having operated a short Route 17 service to Belfield on the 5th February 2011.