Fire engine more than 120 years-old on display at Sheffield museum

The rare manual fire engine that served the people of Tickhill in Doncaster during the 19th century is amongst the unique exhibits on show in the South Yorkshire museum’s summer exhibition.

The Heathman Manual Pump dates back to the 1850s and is believed to be one of only three such vehicles still in existence in the UK. It would have been pulled by two horses and crewed by as many as 18 men who would have manually pumped water using the handles on either side. Most of the men would have had to run alongside the engine on the way to an emergency as most of the room on the vehicle was taken up with equipment.

This rare piece of local history is among around 50 historic vehicles on display at the National Emergency Services Museum. Across three floors of hands-on history, dynamic displays and unique exhibits, including preserved Victorian police cells, the museum tells the story of more than two hundred years of emergency services history.

As well as its regular exhibitions the museum is also hosting a range of special events over the summer. It will be opening up its famous 47 foot lifeboat, giving visitors the chance to explore the bridge and engine room and try on modern and historic RNLI kit for size.

There will be a variety of free kids’ craft activities across the school holidays, from creating sculptures with recycled materials to making mini lifeboats and lifeboat rings. In addition the museum's ever-popular fire engine experience will be available at weekends, giving visitors the chance to ride in a real fire engine.

The museum is hosting a special exhibition in August. Yorkshire artist Paul Digby has chosen the museum as the venue for an installation of paintings and sculptures, celebrating the people working on the front line of the emergency services.

The museum is open Wednesday to Sunday 10am and 4pm and on bank holiday Mondays. For more information on the museum and its summer activities visit www.emergencymuseum.org.uk website.