For all railway enthusiasts, Chris Cliff reminds us of the life of Cecil J. Allen, 1886 – 1973
Train spotting is a popular hobby.
Those people with the right sort of anorak hanging in the hall or who just appreciate the classics of British engineering will know that major celebrations took place this year to mark the 75th anniversary of the setting of the current world speed record for steam trains near Grantham on July 3 1938 at 126 mph by the remarkable A4 locomotive No. 4468 ‘Mallard’. There has been a lot of publicity and anecdotes about this anniversary, but one small story stands out.
Headline news
It was a different world where speed and record breaking was the top news: Sir Nigel Gresley’s shark-nosed A4s with their glamorous streamlined trains such as the ‘Silver Jubilee’ and the ‘Coronation’ raced north along the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) tracks, and there was intense competition between the LNER and its west coast counterpart, the London Midland and Scottish Railway, with their own streamlined ‘Coronation Scot’.
The LMS had set the record at 114 mph in 1937, so Mr. Gresley decided it was high time to settle the matter and planned the July 3 event. Next to the engine was the dynamometer car for recording its performance. A select few VIPs were invited to ride here — Sir Nigel, of course, and his top engineers, and also C.J. Allen.
Railway journalist
Cecil Allen worked for the LNER, specialising in steel rails, but his main claim to fame was as a leading railway journalist, author, and the foremost authority on steam locomotive performance, often travelling on locomotive footplates with the crew. If a railway was launching a new, fast train service, Allen would be invited along. Railways had been his life’s passion, so for him this was the opportunity of a lifetime, in today’s language a ‘no brainer’.
But, astonishingly, he said, ‘No thanks’. Why? The reason was simple; July 3 1938 was a Sunday and, surprising as it may seem, Allen did have a more important appointment. That was at the Gospel Hall where he worshipped as a member of the local Brethren Assembly.
Gospel Hall
Born in London in 1886, Cecil Allen, like many small boys, loved trains, beginning at age 8 when from his bedroom window in Clapton, London, he could watch across Hackney Marshes the variety of trains going to and from Liverpool Street station, even getting to know the engines by their sounds. His secondary school was by a railway junction and his school day was regulated by the passing of his favourite expresses! At age 17 he left Finsbury Technical College with a City and Guilds Certificate in mechanical and civil engineering, and was offered a job as a junior draughtsman at the civil engineering department of the Great Eastern Railway. So began a 43-year-long railway career.
His parents were Christians and attended the Gospel Hall at Clapton, the largest assembly in North London. They were open brethren; not narrow-minded, but they had strict rules about Sundays. Cecil also went along to a Bible class for schoolboys, but ‘although he knew the facts... he did not know him’. However, one evening at the class, aged 14, he gave his life to the Lord following a personal challenge from a visiting speaker, Montague Goodman.
Adventurous spirit
Cecil had a great enthusiasm for life. He inherited the family’s adventurous spirit — for holidays they travelled widely, unusual in the 1880s (all by train of course), and in Wales he discovered mountain climbing which he loved. He later used his free rail tickets for several years to tour the Highlands with a friend on his trusty Rudge-Whitworth bicycle (fitted with a Sturmey-Archer 3speed gear) on which he covered 3,000 miles a year, often using it to get to work, looking very dapper in his three-piece suit, watch chain and bowler hat.
His potential was realised by his bosses and in 1908 he was appointed as Inspector of Materials at a 25% higher salary, but, more importantly, it included extensive visiting of rails suppliers in various places, so came with passes for free unlimited travel over most of the country! He also met Lily Charlton, a member of a local Christian Endeavour group, fell in love, and they married in 1912, going to live in Stockton-on-Tees near the rails suppliers.
He started timing his train journeys and submitted a report, under the title of ‘Locomotive Practice and Performance’, to the prestigious Railway Magazine which published it and invited him to send regular articles, which he did until 1956, a total of 535! He also began writing railway books in 1925 (producing over 40 in total) and started professional lecturing, doing scores each year. His expertise was becoming well known and the fledgling BBC invited him to do a broadcast, leading to regular Home Service documentaries and Children’s Hour appearances, and in 1957, following a serious railway accident at Lewisham, he did a TV interview on Panorama with Richard Dimbleby.
Crusaders
A temporary wartime job change in 1916 took them back south to High Barnet and to the local Gospel Hall, which was ‘not by chance’, as he was asked to speak at a Crusader Group meeting because the leaders had left to fight in the First World War (he was exempted). This began a long association with Crusaders which he loved and took to with his customary enthusiasm, becoming a group leader, a member of the General Committee, a national speaker and, finally in 1958, a Vice-President. But his biggest role and clearly his fondest was to become editor of the Crusaders Magazine which he did for 27 years. From 1929 to 1962 he organised annual train charter excursions for up to 650 boys (were you one?) and his standing with the authorities allowed him to personally arrange special high speed timings and locomotives, including on one occasion Mallard itself.
Organist
Another enthusiasm was music. He was an accomplished organist and got to know many distinguished players — often also railway enthusiasts! He played on the instruments at York Minster and the Royal Albert Hall, but what thrilled him most was playing at the annual missionary meetings at Central Hall, Westminster, which attracted large numbers of Christians, and to 16,000 people at the 1956 Crusaders Union Jubilee. He also wrote a chorus called ‘The Lord has need of the me’ and a book called Hymns and Christian Faith.
There is only room to mention his annual continental travels starting in 1909 — to France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Norway and his beloved Switzerland, his garden model railways loved by his Crusader boys, and his helping to launch the Ian Allan transport publishing house (remember the ABC loco books, all you old train spotters?). Hitler largely put an end to railway glamour in 1939, but after the war high speeds eventually returned, ultimately with diesel and electric locos replacing steam. Allen was no Luddite and embraced the changes, delighting in the increased power and comfort available to the enginemen.
Railway Service Christian Union
He was three times elected president of railway-linked associations, but the one which gave him greatest pleasure was the Railway Service Christian Union in 1933, later called the British Transport Christian Fellowship, and he introduced lunchtime meetings and its national expansion to 26 branches. After retirement they moved to Epsom and into happy fellowship at Epsom Methodist Church. Lily died in 1963, Cecil in 1973.
This then is the life of an ordinary Christian whose embracing of and enthusiasm for earthly as well as spiritual things led to a life of Christian influence and service in many areas, and his faith permeates his autobiography. We never know when we will get opportunities to speak out and the testimony of the reason for his refusing the invitation to the 1938 run clearly caused a stir at the time and is recounted 73 years later. Reading about his life has encouraged me to see how we can be salt and light in all spheres of our lives and interests, and I look forward to a good old chat with him one day. After all, we will have an eternity to do it in!
