Photo of the Week - Week 35:
Ringsend's Enviro400-bodied Volvo B9TL, EV6, making a rare appearance on Route 65B (13:40 departure) on the 5th September 2010.
Its suddenly all got interesting again. Many of us enthusiasts believed that nothing interesting was due until the Network Review but recently there has been some interesting allocations that have been breaking away from the norm. The obo is something that can get very repetitive, the same buses on the same routes; or in other garages cases, any bus on any route. There is little unusual out there. However this week has been something out of the ordinary.
The photo above of EV6 on the 65B is very unusual. Ringsend were always very protective of their Enviro400s, with their destination displays having most of the garage's routes deprogrammed. It was over a year or so before they started to make fleeting appearances on the 49 and 74s. Especially in the case of the 74, the allocation of EVs has been more than fleeting in recent times. So to find one on the 65B this morning was quite a coup.
Other notable observations this week were DF450 back out on the Ghost Bus, yes Molly was negotiating Dublin's Streets again on Monday and Tuesday, still going after 38 years of service. The Hybrid, WH1, was out each day last week, easing back in with a rush hour on the 20B on Monday before a few days of regular service on the 16. Other observations saw Clontarf's EV88 and EV89 (the Wedding ones), usually strictly allocated to the 32s and 42, with occasional ventures on the 31, drift around other routes, notably 42A/B, 29A and 130. And Summerhill kept the punters of the 123 happy this weekend with VG49, and VG50 joining it for Sunday service. Sadly not all could make image of the week though with winter darkness soon approaching and picture of the weeks harder come by, I'm sure some will find a place here in the coming months. Even sadder is that other observations such as WV51 on the 2 and WV46 on the 14 eluded Dublinbusstuff's camera. WV44 was also noted on Eden Quay at 1727, parked up at the 84X stop with a driver at the wheel, but unfortunately nothing was on the destination as the bus I was on drove past.
But Ringsend's allocation never failed to suprise, with RV602 on the 49 today along with EV2, and this week's second Image of the Week (can I have two??) RV478 on the 150 last night. Scrolled RVs have become quite common on the 150 at night this week. Though the shot is lacking somewhat in sharpness, the photo was taken about 15mins before sunset in the wrong direction to sun light, using a handheld compact camera. So give the shot a break.
The Olympians have proven to be a tireless work horse for Dublin Bus. It is a testiment to their work that they find favour with drivers over buses which have less years on them. They still look modern, not something you could say about the KDs, KCs or Ds when they ended their years in service. Their registrations may try to tell a different story, being the oldest buses in the fleet, but they are reliable, comfortable, and can obtain operational speeds far ahead of their low floor counterparts. Now it has come to light that these work horses will outstay the AWs and possibly the rest of the WVs, with the 2000 examples soon to be withdrawn.
When the Olympian finally bows out it will most definately be more fondly remembered than its newer Enviro400 replacement.
Ringsend's Alexander R-bodied Volvo Olympian, RV478, is seen operating a nighttime duty on Route 150 Rossmore - Fleet Street on the 4th September 2010.