Farewell Cardiff Bus Volvo Ailsa

16th December 2007

Cardiff Bus said farwell to their Volvo Ailsa buses on Saturday 15th December 2007, with two buses, Northern Counties bodied 408, NDW 408X and 436, A436 VNY duplicating a number of routes around Cardiff. The Volvo Ailsa was the longest serving type of Double Deck bus in Cardiff, operating from 1982 to 2007, a whopping 25 years.

There was a good turnout considering the last minute nature of the event and with the size of the 'normal' buses on the routes, the Ailsas ended up picking up quite a few 'normal' passengers!

Cardiff Bus Volvo Ailsa/Northern Counties 436, A436 VNY in the earlier version of the livery, waits at Cardiff Bus Station before working route 21	The farewell banner that both Volvo Ailsas carried in the windscreen, as shown by 436	A great chance to get two Ailsas together was at Pantmawr, where 408, NDW 408X waited for 436, A436 VNY to pass	A rear view of Cardiff Bus Volvo Ailsa/Northern Counties 436, A436 VNY at Pantmawr on the 23
One of the last times the driver will have to enter the cab through the side door	Ailsa 436, A436 VNY on the 9A at Heath Hospital	An offside shot of 436 at Heath Hospital	A second shot of 436 at Cardiff Bus Station, with lights on (it was as cold as it looks!)
Old and the New at Cardiff Bus Station; Volvo Ailsa 436, A436 VNY and one of Cardiff Bus' impressive new Scania/East Lancs Olympus, CN57 BKL	View of the front of Ailsa 436	Donwstairs interior of Volvo Ailsa 436, in pretty much original condition	Cardiff Bus Volvo Ailsa 436, A436 VNY alongside 408, NDW 408X at Cardiff Bus Station
Looking down the stairs on 436	Cardiff Bus Volvo Ailsa/Northern Counties 408, NDW 408X, the second bus out on the farewell day, seen here at Pantmawr, poses for the camera on route 21	A rear view of Volvo Ailsa NDW 408X at Pantmawr	The banner on the rear of 408, proclaiming that the Ailsa was Cardiff's longest lasting type of Double Deck Bus
The farewell banner on the front of 408, also showing that the bus still retains its Volvo Ailsa badge	Cardiff Bus 408, NDW 408X, sporting the later variant of the livery with dot matrix display	A night shot of Ailsa 408, NDW 408X at Cardiff Bus Station, ready to head back to the depot on the last working	An upstairs interior shot of NDW 408X