Photo of the Week - Week 9:
Donnybrook's Enviro500 bodied Volvo B9TL, VT21, is seen during its past existence as a EURO (peak hour) bus operating from Broadstone at the Grange Castle terminus of Route 51B on the 10th September 2009.
Due to a computer meltdown this week's image of the week has been somewhat delayed. Therefore I've decided to use something special. Consolidation of the Euro operations has also made up a significant portion of the network review. A very strange operation which was removed due to Network Review changes saw the Monday-Friday 1640 Aston Quay 51B departure operated by a Euro extra from Broadstone. This bus would begin its afternoon with a lap on the 91, before operating the 51B outbound.
This was the case for a number of years, though as of end of October 2010, the 1640 operation returned to the 51 boards in Conyngham Road. What made the departure even more interesting was that in recent times it was VT operated. So with the end of this operation is sight, DublinBusStuff decided to head out on a wet September day to take some photos.
VT21, then operating from Broadstone is seen at the Grange Castle terminus of Routes 51B and 51C on the 10th September 2010
The terminus is located in the Grange Castle Campus. Turning right off the new Nangor Road into Grange Castle Business Park the buses follow the main aerterial road to the second roundabout. At this point Routes 51B/C turn left, while the 151 turns right heading to the outer ring road. After turning left Routes 51B/C continue to the next roundabout. The majority of the departures turn right at this roundabout, continuing for a short distance to a purpose designed terminus, which they negotiate in a clockwise manner. The only exceptions are services via IAWS, which take a left at the roundabout before looping back to serve the terminus.
A wide angle of VT21 at the 51B terminus showing the layout. (See google streetview below).
Streetview of 51B/C terminus
As stated above some services serve the industrial estate differently as they go via IAWS. IAWS is the holding company that owns Cuisine de France. Buses serving IAWS, as noted above, take a right off New Nangor Road, continuing along the aerterial road to 2nd roundabout, before taking a left at this roundabout, and continuing straight on to the next roundabout, as per all 51B/C services. Next they take a left at this roundabout, continuing on to another roundabout, where they take a right. They then loop at the entrance to the Cuisine de France premises seen in the photo below, before serving a stop heading in the easterly direction. The buses then go back the way they came back to the normal 51B/C route, continuing straight through the roundabout and terminate at the purpose built terminus.
Aerial View of IAWS. Just to the north-east of the entrance to the factory a grey square should be visible. This is the top of the stop. No streetview unfortunately.
The 51B/C are to be merged into one route in the coming months under the provisions of Network Review under the guise of Super Route 13 to/from Ballymun. One wonders whether the IAWS diversion will be kept in the supposed sleek, efficient new operational structure. Maybe I got out there in time, AX525 shown below at the IAWS stop.
Conyngham Road's AX525 is seen at the IAWS stop on Route 51C on the 8th March 2011.