YEC    No. 2895    0-6-0DE    Earl of Strafford

Builder: Yorkshire Engine Co.            Weight: 34T            Power: 250HP

Status: Operational

Built by the Yorkshire Engine Company (Meadowhall), the first use of No. 2895 was as a demonstration locomotive for the YEC. She was sold by the Yorkshire Engine Company in 1965 to McCall's Works in Sheffield. After a spell at the McCall's works she was bought by Shakespeare Simpson and Cook of Tutbury. The Earl's last industrial owner was Redland Steetly Aggregates in Nottinghamshire. She was preserved at the Great Central Railway (Nottingham) and was bought for Elsecar Heritage Railway on 14th March 1997.

Earl of Strafford was originally fitted with a 6 Cylinder 220HP Rolls Royce Engine, but this was changed to its 6 Cylinder 250HP Supercharged Cummins Power Unit after engine problems. The locomotive was ideally suited to life at Elsecar and became Elsecar Heritage Railway's main workhorse and has been regularly used to haul passenger trains as well as carrying out engineering duties. It can haul all but the heaviest passenger trains at Elsecar unassisted.

Earl of Strafford has now been painted in NCB 1980s blue livery (as would have been seen on the railway at Cortonwood) and is receiving a totally new power plant, expected back in service for Easter 2016.