I WAS very interested to read about John Wigston, the railway painter, (Echo, Feb 8).

I have photographed John at work on more than one occasion, as I am a keen amateur photographer. I was at Locomotion, the Shildon railway museum, on Friday when John showed me his painting of two engines.

I had previously photographed these engines but I liked the painting much better, so I bought it.

I have been keen on steam engines since I was a young boy. We farmed the land in Darlington where the Kingsway estate is now. I would watch the steam engines go by from the bottom of Thompson Street East bridge and do my train spotting.

I photographed Union of South Africa, one of the six A4 engines which will be at Shildon next week, in steam at the museum and the Butterwick people have kindly included it on their calendar this year.

Lynden Clark featured in Echo Memories on the same day is a good friend of mine. We both belong to Stockton Camera Club.

Brian Wastell, Stockton.