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Motor Rail / Simplex Petrol Locomotives

From 1916 the Motor Rail company of Bedford (later known as Simplex) produced hundreds of small petrol engine railway tractors for the War Department. These were used by the British Army in France operating on 600mm gauge track behind the trenches. An armoured and uprated (40hp) version was also produced.
4217 (1931) at NRM Shildon

Information for post-WW1 standard gauge petrol shunter
Built: 1919-48
Builder: Motor Rail
Motor: Dorman 4JO petrol engine
Power: 40 hp (30 kW)
Wheel arrangement: 4wPM

Following the end of the First World War Motor Rail went on to built hundreds of standard gauge shunters which used the engine and gearbox of the 40hp tractor [1]. The type remained in construction until 1948 and some survived in service until the 1980s. Some were bought by the Great Western Railway in the early 1920s used in locations such as Bridgwater Docks and Didcot Provender Stores [2]. They survived into British Railways days though all were scrapped by 1960. The LNER also operated a couple, one purchased by it's predecessor company the GER in 1919 to replace a horse called Peggy! [3]

Number 4217 (1931) as shown worked at Berry Wiggins and Bulmers before entering preservation in 2004. It is now at NRM Shildon.

[1] Alan M. Keef, Simplex Locomotives at Work (Lightmoor Press, 1919) p. 9
[2] Paul Smith & Shirley Smith, British Rail Departmental Locomotives 1948-1968 (Ian Allan, 2014) p. 19
[3] Brian Haresnape, Diesel Shunters (Ian Allan, 1984) p. 76