City Centre - 28th August 2009:
For value of time, the City Centre is by far the best place to take photographs. However, it can also become repetitive and less interesting than travelling to the less frequented places around the city. However on Friday 28th August I was spoilt for choice. Ringsend especially provided some interesting shots.
EV49 departs on a 49 service to Tallaght.
Ringsend's EVs have had a very strict upbringing, seldom drifting too far from home in the Sandymound area on Routes 2 and 3. Recently their reigns have been loosened slightly and they now appear quite regularly on Routes 49 and 74/A.
In their place on Routes 2 and 3 are Ringsend's Wedding buses. AV383, 384 and AX494 were all in operation on Routes 2 and 3 on the 28th August.
AX494 on O'Connell Street operating Route 2 to St. John's Church.
AV383 on O'Connell Street operating a 3 service to Belfield.
Scrolled buses are becoming a sparse commodity in Dublin Bus' modern fleet. RV504 duly appears on the 13:20 departure to Ballymore.
RV504 on College Green operating to Ballymore on the 28th August 2009.
The inside lane on College Green has undergone a make over in the past few days, a new off-white (possibly beige - ah who am I kidding, I'm male - its white!) grit being placed. No idea what for, possibly some new test maybe, maybe make the bus lane stand out more. Black roadmarkings in the near future??? Unlikely.
Phibsborough's VG1 on the 122 seen at College Green on the 26th August 2009.
The VGs are the new additions to the fleet, their modern appearance a welcome sight to the city streets. In operation in the City Centre were Phibsborough's VG1 on the 122 and Harristown's VG33 on the 41.
Harristown's VG33 on O'Connell Street having operating a 41 from Swords.
The 1st July 2009 saw the beginnings of a new service linking Croke Park and Dublin City Centre. The "Croke Park Experience Shuttle" is operated by Dualway Coaches. A 04 D Volvo Jonckheere, with a highly attractive overall wrap showing Croke Park Stadium, is used. It is seen operating the service on Suffolk Street.
Croke Park Experience Shuttle Bus on Suffolk Street 28th August 2009.
First Group have taken over, well Suffolk Street for the moment. An Aircoach Scania in Vodafone overall advertising overtakes one of the new Tr-Axel Jonckheere SHV Volvo B12Bs. Judging by the stop, they must run to Burger King times, two for the price of one maybe.
Bus Enthusiasm has its down sides and with Ireland's temperamental (no I don't mean temperate) climate you have to accept the occassional drenching. VT69 passes just as the rain begins to fall. The picture of closely following AX507 shows how quickly and heavily the rain came down. I blame the weather on the quality of the photos, well you got to blame something.
VT69 on College Green operating a 37 to Carpenterstown on the 28th August 2009.
AX507 at College Green on the 140 to Wilton Terrace on 28th August 2009.
Every cloud has a silver lining though, RA247 and AV163 glistening in the sun after the downpour.
RA247 on the Hop-On, Hop-Off Tour on the 28th August 2009.
AV163 operating Route 13A from Dublin's newly opened IKEA store in Ballymun.
One has to accept that you can't get them all. What might have beens are many in this game, two such examples are shown. The first is Conyngham Road's Wedding bus EV64 operating Route 151 to Adamstown Station. The right time for a shot is never clear, especially when buses are moving. The right angle exists only for such a short space of time when buses move at speed. Sometimes the trigger finger is just too slow. However other times you're just barking up the wrong tree. AWs especially can be very hard to photograph. AW14 sits on O'Connell Bridge, no traffic to be seen, incredible opportunity. Zoom in, steady yourself and rattle off a few snaps but no matter how hard you try you can't get a clear shot. Time for a new camera me thinks.
An already passed EV64 on D'olier Street. Maybe I can say the angle is due to my artistic license. Reality, I messed it up.
The now infamous DublinbusStuff haze descends on AW14 on O'Connell Bridge.
For those who have stuck with this article, I enclose a little treat. WH1 on Route 16 to Kingston is seen on Parnell Square East awaiting a driver change over.
WH1 on the 16 to Ballinteer on the 28th August 2009.