The Reverend Alan Cliff

[Nearholmer]

Through the TCS I learned some very sad news this morning: Alan Cliff, a truly important man in the world of old-fashioned 0 gauge has died. 

 

Alan, The Reverend Alan Cliff to give him his proper title, was one of the few who kept the flame burning through the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s, between the expiry of BL and Hornby and the "tinplate revival". I remember best his very long-running column 'The Chronicles of Lock's Sidings' in BRM - it was a quirky, story-based means of educating us all about the old British 0-gauge makers, using scenes set on his layout, and it introduced Jack the Station Cat who went on to star in his own series of children's books.

 

More about Alan's life, in his own words, here: http://www.jackthestationcat.co.uk/pages/author.htm#:~:text=The authorof the Jack books is the Reverend,Cambridge universities%2C thus ensuring that he cannot lose

 

Let's all hope that Alan is resting in a place where all transportation is provided by battered old tinplate trains powered clockwork, steam, or ancient forms of electric motor.

 

[5050]

Yet another notable individual has left us, very sad.  He knew my father when he lived in the Wrexham area and I met him a couple if times at talks he gave on railways in the area that I attended with my Dad.

 

RIP Alan.  My condolences to his family.

[davegreenly]

I have known Alan for more than 30 years, dating back to him being a Methodist Minister in Wrexham, and latterly through my visits to the Rhyl Miniature Railway. Sociable, and very knowledgeble on Welsh railways, i'll miss seeing him sitting at his "Jack the Station Cat" sales -table at Rhyl events, and send sincere condolences to his family and friends.