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A Merryweather No.1 "Valiant" steam fire pump, rated at 100 gallons/minute at 50 psi and mounted on a hand carriage. Many thousands of these versatile engines were built from the late nineteenth century until the late 1940s. They have been used for fire fighting all over the world (including use on ships), irrigation (Merryweather claimed that the unit would pump water through four miles of four inch diameter pipe) as well as providing a portable source of power for belt driving machinery, the engine being rated at 5hp.

This engine dates from the 1940s, supplied originally to the London Docks. The boiler is in particularly good condition, still running at its design pressure of 120 psi with a recent 240 psi hydraulic test. Of coal-fired, water tube design, it is a fast steam raiser and can be fed either by injector, by a feed from the main pump or, if using dirty water for fire fighting, there is a small auxiliary pump which can draw clean water from a bucket.

This engine runs very well and is in super condition, ready to rally (or, indeed, go firefighting!). We managed to keep it busy drawing water from 45 gallon drums and then spraying it round the garden - great fun until Mrs P returned to find the back lawn looking like a paddy field. The trolley is quickly detachable, leaving the engine freestanding where it can also be used for driving machinery by belt from the flywheel. When pumping hard, the engine sounds lovely with a very healthy bark As well as driving its own engine, the boiler would be most useful for running other stationary engines.

Height 6 feet
Weight 12cwt