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George Tribe's Steam Engine

Born in 1907 and still going strong, George Tribe’s Steam Engine causes a great deal of interest in the village and has been the subject of quite a few articles and coverage on local TV and National radio. George calls his engine Grandsire from his other passion, bellringing. It is an Aveling and Porter Agricultural Engine and spent all its working life in Devon, mostly hauling threshing machinery from farm to farm, powering threshers or saw-benches and hauling stone from nearby quarries.

Early in the 1950s many of these engines began to be scrapped and cut up; George resolved to buy one and preserve it. At this time antiques of every description were little valued and to most people his action was deemed to be quite crazy. Now we have become aware of the value of old things and can appreciate George’s foresight and recognition of the workmanship that went into these machines from another age.

Having bought the engine in 1958 and after much hard graft, drilling, cold chiselling, boiler re-tubing etc. George has made a perfect job, painting and lining Grandsire in what has been a true labour of love.

George Tribe Steam engine