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VC105 |
ULSTERBUS Query |
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Hi guy's. I addressed this topic to ye as some of ye are bound to know the answer to this question. Where have the Volvo Plaxton's, 1643, 1644 &
1645 been at and where are they now based since as i remember them on the Derry-Dublin route 274 a number of years ago. I have seen 1644 a couple of times in
recent months in Derry mostly but spotted it in Belfast once or twice aswell, can't recall what route it was on. I see 1645 quite alot in Strabane bus stn
at about 09.50am while travelling on the 06.15 Dublin-Letterkenny bus in the mornings as i go to Donegal/Letterkenny/Derry at least once a week every week.
Dont know what service its on though. I don't know where 1643 is as its been so long since i seen it. Also what about Scania's 1661, 1662 & 1663?
Any update on any of them please?
Last Edited By: Gavin 09/07/2008 23:29:36.
Edited 1 time.
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stephen2415 |
#1 | |||
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1643 might be in newry depot or in the driving school in belfast
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VC105 |
#2 | |||
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Thanks for that Stephen
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HAZ4809 |
#3 | |||
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1661 is in Bangor, but it's been spotted this week on the 206 express between Belfast and Newtownards so could have been transferred to Newtownards, im not
sure though if its a temporary transfer to cover for something or if its permanent
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Stevie1202 |
#4 | |||
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1661 went to Bangor, 1663 went to Enniskillen.
1631 went to Craigavon (years ago), 1632 and 1637 went to the Driving School. 1643 in the first instance went to Newry but could be at the Driving School now. Another regular was 1658 which went to Ballymena and then went on fire a while back. As you say 1643/44/45 were the Dublin regulars 1631/32/58 would cover if none of these were available. 1644 is in Limavady at the minute covering for a bus due PSV while 1645 is normally based in Strabane operating the 0545 Strabane-Omagh 273, 0625 Omagh-Derry 273 and 0800 98 to Strabane each day. |
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VC105 |
#5 | |||
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Thanks for that info boys. Stevie, i didn't know 1658 went on fire. When and where did it happen? I presume its wrote off now is it? Am i right in thinking
that 1657 was/is a tour bus? I remember seeing that bus several times, and half of the time i would've seen it on the Derry-Dublin road, but going back 5
or 6 years. I definitely remember it but i think it was in a different livery. I could be wrong though and i haven't seen it in months. Do u know if 1662
is still in Pennyburn or what run she's on? Didn't know 1663 went to Enniskillen. Every time i'm going through Enniskillen the regulars i always
see are Scania 1667,1698, 1752, (and a few other Scania's but i can't remember which one's, i think i seen 1699 there a few times aswell), deckers
326 and did see 325 there alot but haven't seen it recently, Plaxton 1638 (which seems to be the only Volvo Plaxton in Enniskillen these days), and 2 new
Volvo Sunsundegui's 1784 & 1786. Where is 1785 based, or supposed to be based? I seen it in Belfast about 2 months ago and i seen it in Busaras in
Dublin late-ish one evening about 3 or 4 weeks ago and i think it was on the Derry road. I've never seen 1785 in Enniskillen.
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Stevie1202 |
#6 | |||
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I can't remember where 1662 went, it may have been Bangor.
1657 is indeed a tour bus and has been since new. When it was new it was painted as a Goldliner but about 5 years ago it had the gold line removed and replaced with a blue and green stripe, the Ulsterbus Tours colours. It has still been known to double up as a Goldliner from time to time. The deckers 325 and 326 are fleetnumbers 2025 and 2026 and are based in Dungannon for the Enniskillen-Belfast service. Ever new Ayats in 2006 got were considered valuable registrations which were previously carried on Leyland Leopards which were being withdrawn. The registrations allocated to 2002-2026 were: 2002 AXI 282 Derry 2003 AXI 283 Derry 2004 AXI 294 Larne 2005 AXI 295 Larne 2006 AXI 296 Derry 2007 AXI 297 Derry 2008 AXI 298 Derry 2009 AXI 299 Derry 2010 AXI 290 Derry 2011 AXI 311 Derry 2012 AXI 312 Derry 2013 AXI 313 Coleraine 2014 AXI 314 Coleraine 2015 AXI 315 Derry 2016 AXI 316 Derry 2017 AXI 317 Derry 2018 AXI 318 Derry 2019 AXI 319 Europa Buscentre 2020 BXI 320 Omagh 2021 BXI 321 Armagh 2022 BXI 322 Armagh 2023 BXI 323 Europa Buscentre 2024 BXI 324 Omagh 2025 BXI 325 Dungannon 2026 BXI 326 Dungannon Some of 2020-2024 have moved around a bit recently. 1658 went on fire in Antrim I believe, last year. It is my understanding now it has been withdrawn. 1785 was meant to be an Enniskillen bus but eventually was allocated to Derry for the Dublin service. I even think now 1638 is a Driving School bus. |
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stephen2415 |
#7 | |||
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1662 is in based in ulsterbus gvs
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VC105 |
#8 | |||
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Cheers boys. Stevie, 1638 is still in her original colours in Enniskillen, i havent been up in 2 or 3 weeks but thats the way she was then. She's always
there when i'm going through. I was going to say that i haven't actually seen 1638 really operating any services in ages, but she's always just
'lying about' in Enniskillen, (litterally). It could be in one part of the depot one day then she could be in the corner or in a loading bay but
i'v not actually seen her doing anything in an age. Whats 1657 doing these days? What was the best of these Volvo Plaxtons in Derry out all of them that
have been there? Was 1644 & 45 good buses?
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Stevie1202 |
#9 | |||
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To be fair the Derry Excaliburs were much the same although 1657 (and 1656) were the kept the best as they are tour buses. They always seemed well looked after
in any depot they were allocated ouside Belfast.
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Stevie1202 |
#10 | |||
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A couple of Excalibur pictures:
1643 in Busaras on the evening of Friday 16 July 2004 Also 1637 in Glenties in South Donegal on the 15 June 2005:
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VC105 |
#11 | |||
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Stevie, what is the speed limiter set at on the Ayats deckers? Will they do 62mph (100kph) like normal coach or will they only do 42mph like the Bus Eireann
Double Deckers that do Ashbourne, or will they do 50mph? I suppose they'll not do 100kph will they? And also, how long usually does it take the bus to get
from Derry to Belfast usually?
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Stevie1202 |
#12 | |||
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They are restricted as a normal coach is in the UK, to 100km/h. Theres no hurry for anything to chane in the South in this regard. I wonder will the new BE
deckers be restricted to 65km/h? Or are they waiting for a miracle?
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VC105 |
#13 | |||
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I'v heard that the new Bus Eireann Deckers will be limited to 80kph, max. Do u know the Double decker that Callinan from Galway has, the plain white one?
Thats the same type Bus Eireann are getting. They're Berkoff's i think. They will be going mostly to Kells and Cavan for use on the 109 route (to
Dublin). There's 16 of them i gather. The new SC's that Cavan & Kells have now will be taken off them when all these new Deckers are in. The
SC's will be thrown around to Cork or Limerick or Rosslare or somewhere south. Might be a couple of them staying in Broadstone, i know one of them will be
going on route 107 Kingscourt-Navan-Dublin. SC5 (01 D 27583,ex tour coach) has been on this run the last 3 or 4 months, and will be on it until whenever one of
these new SC's become available. SR18 was the bus that was on this run all the time since new in 2002.
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VC105 |
#14 | |||
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There's one of them brand new deckers in Dublin now fella's, a mate of mine sent a picture message to my phone of one of them sitting in Broadstone
this morning.
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