The Controversial CIE RA138

[GSI345]

The Controversial One. 

RA138 (HZA 263) modelled here in CIE Tan Livery. The Controversy lasted only 4 Days in June 1978 & then Quickly repainted Standard CIE Cream & Navy. Modelled on Route 24 Marino

[murphaph]

Why was it controversial?

[Warbonnet]

11 minutes ago, murphaph said:

Why was it controversial?

Because it was painted tan (the only half cab bus in service to be so treated) and was quickly painted out of the then new scheme again after 4 days. 

[murphaph]

Was it a mistake by someone or were there complaints by the public?

[jhb171achill]

On 22/9/2020 at 7:20 PM, murphaph said:

Was it a mistake by someone or were there complaints by the public?

The supervisor in Conyngham Road bus garage didn't like it and ordered it to be repainted back into the old livery, as he felt that it didn't reflect the "modern" image of CIE's buses. 

A second bus was almost finished but was also repainted before leaving the paint shop.

I saw it - I came in from somewhere by train to Heuston on my wandering days, and it and another navy & cream one were sitting under the canopy (where taxis go now) adjacent to platform 5. Thought it looked interesting but it was late, fading light, and I had run out of film, so no photo! It was operating the No. 90 service to Connolly Station that night.

The inside back platform was a dark grey, which I believe, since, might have been still undercoat because there was a story that they hadn't quite decided what colour the stairwell ought to be.

Edited August 21, 2023 by jhb171achill

[Mayner]

I think the "Tan" livery which first appeared on the new Van Hool Atlanteans in the late 70s was not exactly well received by the travelling public and local enthusiasts who in plain speaking Dublin fashion described it as s--t.

The public seemed to prefer the blue and cream and the Golden Brown or all over tan scheme was replaced with a smart two tone green with the arrival of the Bombardier buses on Dublin City Services in the early 80s.

[jhb171achill]

Yes, it was not only the public who didn't like it - many staff, including (obviously) the senior man at Conyngham Road, didn't like it either.

Personally, I believe I am the solitary person on the planet who actually liked it........... by the time it was introduced, many of the older navy and cream buses weren't weathering well - that dark blue looked very dark, muted and dull after a while in traffic, and the all over cream colour above waistline was too light to stay clean for any length of time - result, tatty looking buses especially on the older half-cabs.

[Noel]

Stronger deeper colours also a better backdrop for advertising.  Apparently One of the reasons they changed from the original flying snail green livery is people down the country missed buses because they couldn’t see them in the distance approaching rural locations. They blended into the land scape too easily. Hence red and cream. Some people in some hilly areas could spot an approaching bus from 2miles away on an elevated hilly road or below in a valley. Myth or true I know not.

[Broithe]

49 minutes ago, Noel said:

Stronger deeper colours also a better backdrop for advertising.  Apparently One of the reasons they changed from the original flying snail green livery is people down the country missed buses because they couldn’t see them in the distance approaching rural locations. They blended into the land scape too easily. Hence red and cream. Some people in some hilly areas could spot an approaching bus from 2miles away on an elevated hilly road or below in a valley. Myth or true I know not.

The original Royal Mail pillar boxes on all of these islands were green*, but were changed to red for exactly that reason, apparently.

 

* a 'Brunswick Green', rather than the current An Post colour.

[Warbonnet]

The current yellow for Dublin Bus is also based on visibility as apparently yellow is the the clearest colour for visually impaired people to see. Explains why the yellow front was added to the newer NTA/Go Ahead livery, even if it is visually a mess design wise (though looks better on the coaches than on the city buses.) 

[jhb171achill]

28 minutes ago, Warbonnet said:

The current yellow for Dublin Bus is also based on visibility as apparently yellow is the the clearest colour for visually impaired people to see. Explains why the yellow front was added to the newer NTA/Go Ahead livery, even if it is visually a mess design wise (though looks better on the coaches than on the city buses.) 

Indeed; and it IS a mess visually! Not my "Jackeen Bias", but I think that in theory at least, Dublin buses would look better with only the two-tone blue, not the yellow. Yellow and light blue are a hideous clash!