A CAR broker said he has no regrets about following his gut feeling to buy a painting depicting six steam engines together after seeing just the first few brush strokes.

John York from Kirk Merrington in County Durham, chanced upon artist Stephen Bainbridge at the Locomotion National Rail Museum in Shildon near Bishop Auckland last summer.

The artist had been commissioned to paint the six A4 class locomotives which will be on display together for a week starting on Saturday (February 15) to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Mallard becoming the world’s fastest steam engine.

Mr York said: “I saw the first six brush strokes on the canvas and just knew it was a picture I would want.

“Every time I look at it I remember the excitement I got as a boy watching the trains.

“I just had a gut feeling about getting the painting, and now it is finished I have no regrets whatsoever.”

Mr York, a self employed car leasing broker, will loan the painting to the Shildon museum to put on display for a year.

The Dominion of Canada, which was renovated at the museum last year, will arrive today (February 12) on a low-loader lorry.

It will be on display alongside the Mallard, Bittern, Dwight D Eisenhower, Union of South Africa and the Sir Nigel Gresley, the last A4 locomotives in the world.

The exhibition will be open daily from 9.30am to 5pm, with free entry.