I READ with interest Chris Lloyd’s article on the 190th anniversary of the Darlington to Stockton Railway and the launch of “The First Five Miles” book by Gerald Slack and Michael O’Neil (Echo, Sept 26).

I grew up in the 40s and 50s collecting engine numbers and haunting York Station and the surrounding engine yards. We also had the National Rail Museum which is now world famous (NRM).

It has always mystified me why Darlington has not taken the opportunity to become famous due to its unique position in railway history.

The first commercial railway journey in history took place between Darlington and Stockton in 1833 after the Rocket had made the first railway trip in 1829.

The NRM at York gets thousands of visitors yearly from all over the world. I doubt that many people beyond the confines of Darlington itself realise what a gem there is just off the North Road, at Darlington Railway Museum.

The authors of “The First Five Miles” are to be congratulated on seeing the book as a call to save Darlington’s Railway Heritage.

I sincerely hope the people of Darlington and the powers that be will rally to the call.

Darlington deserves a National Railway Museum of its own.

Roy Tribick, Newby.