Vintage Petrol Pump
This vintage petrol pump stands on the forecourt of the Muslin Hall Garage at the corner of New Mill Road and Heys Road in Thongsbridge. It is a Theo Multiple Pump, capable of dispensing six different brands or grades of petrol from underground storage tanks without any cross-contamination. This would normally have needed six different pumps, so saved forecourt space, and cost the garage owner less to install and insure. The Theo motor suction unit also used less power than rival pumps. It was made by Theo & Co. Ltd., of Tarleton Street, Liverpool, who were the sole manufacturer of this type of pump, and probably dates back to the 1930s. It is made of heavy thick cast iron with brass fittings and operates by sucking the air out of the 5 gallon glass cylinder to create a vacuum, so drawing in the petroleum. The pump had an illuminated revolving indicator to show which type of fuel had been selected and attention was drawn to it by an electric bell or buzzer. The amount of fluid dispensed could also be pre-determined and the required amount was delivered speedily and accurately.
Petrol pumps first appeared in Britain for private use around 1916 but it wasn't until around 1920 that oil companies such as Shell and BP began to install hand operated pumps on a commercial basis. By 1925 BP were said to have over 6,000 pumps across Britain. Electrically operated pumps, which were quicker but needed more maintenance, were introduced in the 1930s but many garages retained their old hand pumps as they had proved reliable and simpler to maintain. Some remained in use up until the 1950s, although now they have become a rarity and the Theo Multiple Pump has become the serious collector's ultimate pump. A Theo Multiple electric petrol pump sold for £4,200 in Devon in July 2013 and just the glass globe from a Theo Multiple Pump sold for £1,062 at Bonhams in June 2014.
See image carousel for a duo of Theo pumps used here in combination to deliver a whole range of fuels