Leeudoringstad was established in 1920 and named after the Lion-thorn, the African Devil's Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens).

Just outside the station, about 1 km down the track, the driver noticed a cloud of smoke coming from one of the trucks in the middle of the train.

The driver and his fireman escaped unharmed and managed to uncouple the engine and take it into the station to warn the people there that there could possibly be more explosions.

[2] A nearby farm house received the full blast and four people in there were killed instantly as well as most of the livestock.

Today, Leeudoringstad hosts the headquarters of Suidwes Landbou, one of the largest agricultural companies in South Africa.