Export Market

 After the war, although the British market was still very much active, it became clear that the future of the company depended on the expanding export market, particularly in Africa. With a small company such as Motor Rail Ltd., it would be infeasible to set up a large number of overseas offices and it was therefore necessary to recruit agents in the countries where there would be most demand. Motor Rail did this very successfully, setting up exclusive marketing deals with companies such as Parry & Co. for India, Paterson, Simon & Ewart for the Far East, Wigglesworth & Co. Ltd. for East Africa (including Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique and Uganda), and E. C. Lenning Proprietary Ltd. for South Africa, Rhodesia and some of West Africa. Railway, Mine and Plantation Equipment Ltd. (RMP) were responsible for most of the rest of the world, including West Africa.  Such was the size of the market in South Africa that prior to 1953, E. C. Lenning had sold over 500 Simplex locos in this region.

Ernest Lenning and his wife Dagmar were good friends of Tom Dixon Abbott, and the sales of the Simplex locos and spares in South Africa boomed in the late forties and early fifties. When Motor Rail floated 25% of the company on the stock market, Ernest Lenning’s confidence in the product was such that he sought to acquire some shares himself. Lennings could sell as many Simplexes as they could get; they never had a single loco in stock. The supply of locos was limited due to the unavailability of raw materials in the U.K. in the post war years. In 1951 this factor and the lack of availability of a flameproofed Simplex design threatened to damage sales prospects. For instance, in 1951 Lennings already had enquiries for 24 of the 32/42 B.H.P. locos for delivery in 1952, yet their share of the 1952 production would only be 15. Added to this, major competitors such as Ruston and Hornsby were aggressively attempting to enter the market and for the first time Lennings found themselves beaten on price by the flameproofed Ruston machines. Ruston now had available the LBU locomotive with its short and narrow frame, ideally suited to underground working, which was being advertised intensively in South Africa and marketed by Hubert Davies.

 The issue of flameproofing did not sit easily at Bedford. First of all, Tom Dixon Abbott’s objective was to keep the Simplex design simple, such that it was cheap, reliable and easily maintainable. Added to that there were difficulties in avoiding Ruston’s patents. These factors combined to make Motor Rail slow to respond to the threat. After the death of Ernest Lenning in October 1951, his step-brother Rudi Martin, whom he had groomed as his successor, was put in charge. Rudi suggested setting up some sort of manufacturing operation for Motor Rail locos and spares in South Africa. There was even a suggestion of a collaboration with RMP, Orenstein & Koppel and Allens in a manufacturing venture. It was not until 1953 that Lennings were authorised to make certain spares in country under licence to avoid the lack of supplies affecting customers.