Chenery H64 PDW (National Express livery) in Elveden - 11 May 1994

Wednesday 11 May 1994 - R W Chenery of Dickleburgh, Norfolk H64 PDW travels past the church of St Andrew and St Patrick through the Suffolk village of Elveden when operating the 1805 Norwich to London (Victoria) National Express ‘Rapide’ service 599. This was the last southbound trip of the day and the coach would stay overnight in London to work the first northbound trip the next morning.

The photograph was taken during one of Elveden’s quieter moments. Many travellers particularly at summer weekends would face a nose-to-tail crawl along the 9 mile section of the then single carriageway of the A11 between Barton Mills and Thetford not helped by the traffic lights at Elveden crossroads. Accidents and road deaths were abundant so the name of the village was well known but for all the wrong reasons. In December 2014 the dual carriageway and a village by-pass brought peace to the village almost like that seen in this photograph.

Chenery began operating the service 599 contract effective Sunday 23 May 1993 using four Kässbohrer-Setra coaches (three model S215HD like this and one model S215HR) which had been new to Bebb Travel of Llantwit Fadre. (H64 PDW was subsequently re-registered to 920 ACH)