Belgian chocolatiers have created the world's largest vintage steam train made out of chocolate, in an attempt to boost the country's internationally renowned chocolate industry.

The 34-meter (110-foot) sculpture was on show near the Eurostar train platform at Brussels' Gare du Midi, and according to Sky News, certified by the Guinness Book of World Records to ensure it was solid chocolate.

Belgian tourist minister Christos Doulkeridis said the industry was well able to withstand the growing international competition.

"We have the science and artisans to do it. We promote the chocolate of quality," he said.

But the industry has proved less recession-proof than predicted, with European manufacturers losing market share world-wide.

Belgium's three hundred chocolate companies produce some two (b) billion pounds' worth (2.45 (b) billion euros) every year in a world market estimated at 52 (b) billion pounds (64 (b) billion euros) but consumption in Western Europe has shrunk by about five percent.

Statistics from the European Cocoa Association show that processing in Europe fell by 17 percent over the summer.

And global trends suggest that demand for luxury chocolate is growing in emerging economies, but slowly shrinking in richer countries, with production slowly shifting to new markets where labour costs are low and the beans do not have to be shipped to Europe to be processed.

Since the recession, Belgian artisans have been shielded from a dip in local demand by growing demand in eastern Europe and emerging markets Brazil, Russia, India and China.

So Brussel's famous chocolatiers at Grand Sablon, the "quality street" where most of the famous chocolate houses have a flagship shop, try to catch buyers' attention by creating lavish sculptures.