Grace's Guide To British Industrial History
Registered UK Charity (No. 1154342)Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains167,701 pages of information and247,103 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.
Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains147,919 pages of information and233,587 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.
Motor Rail of Bedford, a locomotive-building company
1931Motor Rail and Tramcar Co changed its name to Motor Rail Ltd
1951 Public flotation of shares in the company; maker of "Simplex" diesel locomotives and "Motor Rail" diesel dumpers[1]. Subsidiaries: Petrol Loco Hirers Ltd, and Diesel Loco Hirers Ltd but these were not trading[2]
1961 Manufacturers of Simplex diesel locomotives and Motor Rail diesel dumpers. 160 employees.[3]
c.1966 The Bedford firm making narrow gauge locomotives produced a brand new "mini loco". It proved a success.
1968 AcquiredLow Loading Trailer Co[4]
1968 Won the Queen's Award for Export
1969 Made a trading loss but sold subsidiaryBedford Crane and Plant Hire and the premises of Low Trading Trailer in Bedford[5]
1971 Was a subsidiary of Loco Handling[6]
1972Burnholme and Forder acquired a majority interest[7]
1972 The operating company was renamedSimplex Mechanical Handling, a subsidiary ofMotor Rail which became the holding company[8]
1972 Motor Rail acquiredBritish Tools and Pressings fromBrayhead[9]
1976 The sale ofSimplex Mechanical Handling and ofJohn Street (Manufacturers) were agreed[10]
1976 The company was put into receivership together with its subsidiaryKeland Ltd of Blaydon on Tyne; a new companyKeland Electrics was established by theNational Enterprise Board to acquire the manufacturing and certain other assets of Keland[11]
1987 Loco manufacture ceased, with the business being transferred toAlan Keef of Ross-on-Wye, who continued to provide spares and have built several locos to Motor Rail designs.