Dublin Bus

overdriver · 24-10-2009 1:14pm

BrianD3 wrote: »

Are you aware of the Kells Transport Musem in Cork? They have loads of KCs and a few KRs and KDs. The museum is a pretty controversial operation!
http://www.kellstransportmuseum.com/

why is it controversial?

BrianD3 · 24-10-2009 6:55pm

why is it controversial?

It has been described as a scrapyard waiting to happen. With the "museum" consisting of hundreds of buses stored outside and various states of (dis)repair, it is easy to see where this idea comes from. The owner of the museum is also a well known eccentric who has had numerous run ins with various parties - the County Council, Cork Airport, Readymix, the ESB, Bus Eireann and possibly with other bus preservation enthusiasts too..

Gary ITR · 25-10-2009 3:18pm

Brilliant thread. I love seeing all of the old Dublin Bus livery

Gary ITR · 25-10-2009 7:52pm

http://shane-conway.fotopic.net/p34482099.html

These buses were ran up until the mid 90's in Dublin. They used to be on the 22 route. Anybody know anything about this particular type of bus?

Gary ITR · 26-10-2009 12:34am

http://www.wheelingintheyears.com/

Just spent the last hour or so browsing this site

Blue Punto · 26-10-2009 11:26am

Onkle wrote: »

http://shane-conway.fotopic.net/p34482099.html

These buses were ran up until the mid 90's in Dublin. They used to be on the 22 route. Anybody know anything about this particular type of bus?

All you want to know about the Atlantean is here Onkle

http://www.nationaltransportmuseum.org/b003.html

Blue Punto · 26-10-2009 11:42am

And just an after thought

The Atlanteans are by far my favorite bus

Molly 1 DF450/450 ZD which was the first Ghost tour bus is still to be officaly retired.
After entering service in 1972 it is the oldest serving bus in the country and after its life serving many routes was converted into an open top tour bus and then re-roofed giving it the distintion of being the only bus to have this job done

Pic taken from flickr as I hope to get to Ringsend to get a pic of molly for my own collection

Blue Punto · 26-10-2009 12:17pm

Just another note on the pics on the first page I have the buses tagged as RA's when that are actually RH's

And I heard that the airlink AV118 in the same batch of pics was to become a new ghost tour bus but that now seems unlikely with a for sale sign on her

I heard it was a very unreliable machine so maybe that had something to do with it

corktina · 26-10-2009 1:00pm

just as an aside I was surprised the other day to come across two Dublin Bus 'deckers on the M25 north of London...possibly heading for ensignbus would you think?

Blue Punto · 26-10-2009 1:10pm

yeah alot of them end up in the uk and the funny thing is ,2 or 3 have then been re-imported back into the country by operators here

darrenc4706 · 21-11-2009 7:04pm

Hi is that a bombardier at the very end in learner livery?

also, where did you take the pics of the dub buses and bus eirean kds?

do you still have photo of bus from quays accident as its not on?

Blue Punto · 21-11-2009 10:53pm

darrenc4706 wrote: »

Hi is that a bombardier at the very end in learner livery?

also, where did you take the pics of the dub buses and bus eirean kds?

do you still have photo of bus from quays accident as its not on?

No its not a bombardier just a trick of the light if you look closely you will see its the same as the rest

The KD's are in Broadstone

And I do have a pic of the bus from the accident but I decided against leaving it on the board incase it offended anyone

macroman · 23-11-2009 12:22am

The KR's up the bank in Broadstone are subject to a court case with Kells Transport Museum. See Here. Bus Eireann would rather scrap them then sell them to KTM (and other preservationalists like myself).

Gary ITR · 23-11-2009 12:25am

macroman wrote: »

The KR's up the bank in Broadstone are subject to a court case with Kells Transport Museum. See Here. Bus Eireann would rather scrap them then sell them to KTM (and other preservationalists like myself).

That's bananas

macroman · 23-11-2009 12:30am

Onkle wrote: »

That's bananas

Especially since they're the last buses to be built by CIÉ (CIÉ had to finish the last batch of KR's as GAC staff downed tools), they're the last buses to be built in the Republic, and they're the last purpose built buses for CIÉ. There's only one in preservation so far

Gary ITR · 23-11-2009 12:41am

Would they have been built in Spa Road?

macroman · 23-11-2009 12:48am

Onkle wrote: »

Would they have been built in Spa Road?

Built in Shannon in an old Piano factory. Politics put an end to it all unfortunately.

tinofapples · 23-11-2009 10:10pm

Out of curiosity, what kind of money would these retired buses make ?

VolvoMan · 24-11-2009 12:57am

tinofapples wrote: »

Out of curiosity, what kind of money would these retired buses make ?

It was stated that in the last batch they went for around 40k each a few posts back.

overdriver · 24-11-2009 9:13am

A mate of mine on the BL classics forum bought 4 buses in the UK fairly cheaply.

Two of them, Nationals were subsequently scrapped, but he bought them, brim full of diesel, for 50 quid STG each.

macroman · 24-11-2009 4:30pm

The one's DB are selling (1997, 1998, 1999 Volvo Olympians) would fetch around £30,000 a piece in the UK. But that will probably drop as London Transport have recently retired a load of more desirable low-floor buses.

As for end of life vehicles (not fit for service), most get purchased for restoration or conversion for scrap value. Any buses I've bought were brimmed to the neck with diesel, had nearly new tyres and came with loads of spare parts (from private operators).

Saab Ed · 24-11-2009 5:11pm

macroman wrote: »

Any buses I've bought were brimmed to the neck with diesel, had nearly new tyres and came with loads of spare parts (from private operators).

Just out of interest why do you buy buses and how many have you bought over the years?

Gary ITR · 24-11-2009 6:58pm

Does anybody know what were the last buses assembled in Spa Road?

PanhardPL · 24-11-2009 8:21pm

The last buses to be assembled at Spa Road were done by VanHool/McArdle with all orders going to CIE.

Saab Ed · 24-11-2009 8:36pm

PanhardPL wrote: »

The last buses to be assembled at Spa Road were done by VanHool/McArdle with all orders going to CIE.

Was the first Volvo Ailsa prototype not made at Spa road?

PanhardPL · 24-11-2009 9:58pm

Yes the Ailsa was built at SPA Road and a number were exported to the UK. CIE bought VanHool/McArdle bodied double deckers and all were on Leyland chassis.

maidhc · 24-11-2009 10:22pm

BrianD3 wrote: »

It has been described as a scrapyard waiting to happen. With the "museum" consisting of hundreds of buses stored outside and various states of (dis)repair, it is easy to see where this idea comes from. The owner of the museum is also a well known eccentric who has had numerous run ins with various parties - the County Council, Cork Airport, Readymix, the ESB, Bus Eireann and possibly with other bus preservation enthusiasts too..

How do I not know about this place? I can almost make out my house in photos from the website!!!!

I know of the individual who runs it, although I always thought he lived at the other side of the city!

Gary ITR · 25-11-2009 12:08am

PanhardPL wrote: »

Yes the Ailsa was built at SPA Road and a number were exported to the UK. CIE bought VanHool/McArdle bodied double deckers and all were on Leyland chassis.

My Grandfather worked in Spa Road right up until it closed. He died not long after. I remember going in there as a child to see him at work. It was a fairly big place. All apartments now

I feel old now and I'm only bloody 25!

macroman · 25-11-2009 1:32am

Saab Ed wrote: »

Just out of interest why do you buy buses and how many have you bought over the years?

I'm involved in a few preservation groups and have bought six buses & coaches myself over past 3 years, but have bought quite a few on the behalf of others who wouldn't know what to look for when buying a bus (or fire engine :rolleyes:).

Onkle wrote:

Does anybody know what were the last buses assembled in Spa Road?

I think it was a batch of Ford coaches based on the R114 chassis. Pig ugly things, built for export but a few remained in Ireland. I know of one being used as a greenhouse :rolleyes:

maidhc wrote:

How do I not know about this place? I can almost make out my house in photos from the website!!!!

I know of the individual who runs it, although I always thought he lived at the other side of the city!

I'm involved with the museum in Cork, have been since 2006. We get heavily criticised for "having everything parked in a field" but to be honest, it's better then having them scrapped. It costs approximately €70k a year to keep the place motoring, and with the amount of vehicles on site we can't keep everything perfect, but we try to keep things running and in good order. We have good intentions, but get criticised by "armchair generals" - people who slate us for saving the buses, but have no involvement in preservation themselves (and of course those who are in preservation). But I'm sure the opinion will change in a few years when parts become unobtainable from sources other than ourselves!

atlantean · 05-12-2009 9:00pm

Blue Punto wrote: »

Saab Ed wrote: »

Jaysus they're KR class GAC's. I thought they were all gone. .

A KR drove into the industrial estate where I work today — only got a glimpse as it drove past — sounded to be running fine!

Dublin Bus

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