Photo of the Week - Week 38:
Donnybrook's brand-new SG114 is seen leading a line of VTs operating Route 145 at the new Ballywaltrim terminus on the 14th September 2015.
SGs continue to be delivered in August and September, with Donnybrook and Clontarf being in receipt. Donnybrook has its full contingent (SG110-124), except for SG121 which is in temporary residence in Clontarf. SG127 is the only bus from the Clontarf batch noted in service thus far. There has been a high pace of deliveries over the past few months, so it should not be long before Harristown and Phibsborough also start receiving their vehicles.
Map of the route 145's terminus arrangements at Ballywaltrim.
The allocation of Donnybrook's SGs to Route 145 justified an irregular visit to Bray, and the new Route 145 terminus in Ballywaltrim. On the 18th January 2015, Route 145 was cut short from its former terminus at Kilmacanogue to terminate at Ballywaltrim, with Route 45A extended from its previous terminus in Ballywaltrim to Kilmacanogue. With the scrolls showing just "Ballywaltrim", there may have been an assumption that Route 145 terminated where the 45A had previously done, at the cemetary. However, instead a new terminus has been built on the link road between the Killarney Road and Southern Cross Road. There is enough room for 3 buses to safely pull in here, as shown in the picture of SG114 above. This is also both the last and first stop at Ballywaltrim for Route 145.
Donnybrook's SG116 is seen at Heuston Station about to depart for Ballywaltrim on Route 145 on the 15th September 2015.
Clontarf's brand-new SG127 is seen turing off the Greencastle Road onto the Malahide Road on the 15th September 2015.
Clontarf's new SGs seem destined for Route 27, the only allocations thus far noted for the new SGs. However, Clontarf has been thus far good to mix up the allocations of SGs and GTs, with Routes 27, 29A and 104 being earmarked for dual-door operation. The same goes for Donnybrook's SGs. With Route 145 being operated from both Donnybrook 1 and the Bray outbase of Donnybrook, SGs are based in both. The narrowness of the Bray outbase means that strict allocations may prove difficult, and thus these buses have being showing up on Routes 84, 184 and 185. The 84X is also a regular home for the new SGs, being part of the 145 bill.
Clontarf's brand-new SG127 is seen turing at the Clare Hall Roundabout on the 15th September 2015.