File:Fire Fighting Appliances Gilbert 1969 Plate 18.jpg

English: Merryweather steam fire engine, the Sutherland, 1863. This engine, the Sutherland, was built by Merryweather & Sons and won the first prize for large steam engines at the international competition at the Crystal Palace in 1863. It is believed to be the oldest steam fire engine still in existence.

Although a steam fire engine had been made by Braithwaite and Ericsson in 1829, this type of machine was not developed in England until after the middle of the 19th century, In 1858 Shand, Mason & Co made their first steam fire engine which was sold to Russia. In 1860 the London Fire Engine Establishment used its first land steam fire engine. Soon after this time interest in such machines developed and competitions were organised in order to discover the best designs.

The machine shown belongs to this early period of rapid practical development. It has a pair of horizontal pumps working direct off the piston rods of the two steam cylinders, so that there is no crank shaft or flywheel. Under test it proved capable of maintaining a steady jet 160 to 170 ft (50 m) high through a 1:525 in (38:8 mm) diameter nozzle. It was purchased by the Admiralty and used for 27 years at Devonport dockyard.

In 1905 it was taken out of service, but in 1918 it was once again in use, and finally in 1924 was placed in this Museum. Since its construction it has undergone a few alterations. The chief change has been the substitution of the present boiler for the original Field tube boiler. Some of the woodwork has also been renewed and it has been repainted in its original colours. Plate 18 from Fire fighting appliances, the descriptive catalogue of the collection in the Science Museum, London.