Photo of the Week - Week 11:
Conyngham Road's Wright Hybrid, WH1, is seen operating Route 51D on Baggot Street on the 16th March 2020 (click on photo for larger version).
Route 51D is an interesting routing, linking Clondalkin to the city via the Lucan Road. It started in July 2002, introduced as the QBC on the Chapelizod By-Pass and Lucan Road is much better than that around Inchicore. It facilitated those on the Fonthill Road who would otherwise have relied on the 78A, which had traffic issues on James Street and diverted the whole lenght of Neilstown Road. It has always been strange in that it has different inbound termini than outbound. When introduced, buses departed junction of Convent Road and St. John's Road, around Cherrywood Villas and Bawnogue, heading through the city centre to Waterloo Road. The outbound service departed Aston Quay, but then operated more around Clondalkin, continuing on past its morning terminus to Clondalkin Village and into Woodford.
Former Conyngham Road AX605 is seen operating Route 51D on Nassau Street on the 3rd July 2015 (click on photo for larger version).
The different termini has remain to this day; today inbound buses depart from Watery Lane, operating to Waterloo Road. Outbound buses depart Aston Quay and operate to Woodford Hill. The 51D buses can often be found doing partial laps on the 145, for example operating from Waterloo Road to Heuston Station having completed the inbound departure. They also operate early and late departures on the 90. Unfortunately, WH1 did neither.
On a final note, last week I mentioned that the website should return to normal over the next few weeks, given the infrequent updates recently. However, it is for obvious reasons, that I will now have to take that statement back. I will try to update as regularly as possible, but until travel restrictions are removed by government, I will not be updating with current content, instead relying on archive material.
Former Conyngham Road AV196 is seen operating Route 51D having just departed from Hawkins Street on the 4th September 2012 (click on photo for larger version).