Dublin Bus purchased 20 Volvo B7LA's with Wrights of Ballymena Eclipse bodywork in 2000.
Initially used to supplement high frequency routes to various suburbs, route 90 & new route 65C, all now work exclusively on route 10 from Belfield via the City Centre to the Phoenix Park.
All 20 vehicles are garaged in Broadstone & maintained in ajoining Phibsboro Garage.
AW 12 seen above passing Easons bookstore on O'' Connell Street 8th May 2004.
AW 3 seen on Westmoreland Street on the 2nd July 2004 heading for the Phoenix Park in the new corporate Dublin Bus colours.
While the new colours suit the AW class, the front styling is very bland & the distinctive Wright W logo & curved light clusters fade into insignificance.
AW 3
AW 6 demonstrates the revised frontal styling with the yellow swooping down the centre & Wright W logo re highlighted giving a far superior appearance. The revised front was only a error by the painting contrators & soon removed.
Pictured on Parnell Square 10th July 2004.
AW 15 on route 39 to Ongar, with the original larger " Ongar " destination display heads around by College Wall, picking up from Dame Street.
AW 19 on route 129 to Donaghmede/ Baldoyle, which was withdrawn in May 2009, seen on O'Connell Bridge
AW 4 seen on a short working of route 19A towards Jamestown Rd
AW 4 on route 91, boosting capacity for peak/ train services
AW 15 slides down Suffolk Street, the sheer length of the AW class practicially taken up the whole street. Photo Juny 2003.
The original & always the best, AW 1, the first of the batch of twenty loads up northbound on route 10 to the Phoenix Park. The start of the O'Connell Street redevelopment has began, with some curious double yellow lines at the front of AW 1.
AW 5 on route 10 southbound September 2003
AW 14, a train outside Trinity College heading southbound October 2003
Nearside view of AW 6, the rear doors in the trailer section could rarely be used as the buses could not negotiate the kerbside sufficiently.
00 D 31079, the original Dublin Bus bendi seen here on evaluation at Phibsboro Garage. It operated for some time in service, especially on route 46A to Dun Laoghaire. Following the handback, it went on to become a long term car park shuttle at Dublin Airport.
