The rate at which Van Hool Ds were entering service in 1976 ensured that the life of the remaining Rs would be very short. Only 57 were left in service at the start of the year (excluding R900s, which were not real Rs!). There were 35 in Clontarf (R638 647 655 664 748/9 750/2/3/4/5/7 812 - 833), 2 in Ringsend (R774/5), 2 in Summerhill (R791/2), 12 in C Road (R799 - 804 806 - 811), 4 in Cork (714 783/7 and 805 - R783/7 with platform doors) and 2 in Waterford (R741 and 788) . By start of March, the number was down to 42, with the Clontarf R800 batch still intact. March saw the w/d of the C Road and Cork fleets and a few of the Clontarf 800s.
Only 21 Rs saw service into April. These were R791/2 in Summerhill, the two in Waterford, and 17 R800s in Clontarf. These were R812 - 823 826 829 - 832. The Summerhill buses mainly did school runs in the north county and Waterford was a long way away, so the focus of interest at that stage was very much Clontarf. Drivers on the 30 got quite used to being photographed, maybe not as much as the recent RM scene, but they understood what was going on.
Even at this stage, Clontarf had never had RAs. The last Rs in Clontarf were not replaced by Van Hools, but by transfer of RAs and R900s from Donnybrook (when the 7A/8 got D750s/770s) and R900s from Summerhill. Thus the traditional of old buses in Clontarf was retained right up to the last half cabs in 1982.
Only 21 Rs saw service into April. These were R791/2 in Summerhill, the two in Waterford, and 17 R800s in Clontarf. These were R812 - 823 826 829 - 832. The Summerhill buses mainly did school runs in the north county and Waterford was a long way away, so the focus of interest at that stage was very much Clontarf. Drivers on the 30 got quite used to being photographed, maybe not as much as the recent RM scene, but they understood what was going on.
Even at this stage, Clontarf had never had RAs. The last Rs in Clontarf were not replaced by Van Hools, but by transfer of RAs and R900s from Donnybrook (when the 7A/8 got D750s/770s) and R900s from Summerhill. Thus the traditional of old buses in Clontarf was retained right up to the last half cabs in 1982.
