A SPECIAL railway carriage adorned with stunning images of the Tamar Valley was launched last week, with the aim of attracting visitors to the area.
The ?Tamar Kingfisher? will be used on Wessex Trains services throughout the South West.
The carriage is decorated with vibrant pictures of Calstock Viaduct, a tranquil river scene at Endsleigh, and the Calstock ferry with its operator, Joshua Preston, at the helm.
The Tamar Valley Tourism Association (TAVATA) logo and the phrase ?Discover the secret ?twixt Devon and Cornwall? are shown in large letters to encourage potential visitors to find out more about the valley.
The website http://www.tamarvalleytourism.co.uk">www.tamarvalleytourism.co.uk is also displayed.
TAVATA chairman Margaret Blake said the new carriage would spread the word about the delights of the Tamar Valley as far away as Gloucestershire and South Wales during its travels.
?One of our aims as a tourism organisation is to promote the valley as a destination for visitors - even to people in other parts of Devon and Cornwall.
?We were delighted to take up the opportunity given to us by Wessex Trains to put our images on a railway carriage.
?We hope visitors will also be encouraged to use the Tamar Valley railway line and enjoy the stunning scenery the train passes through.?
The formal unveiling of the carriage?s name plate was performed by David Parriss from Plymouth, who won the competition to name the carriage with his suggestion ?Tamar Kingfisher?.
Joshua Preston, operator of Calstock ferry, was also at the launch, which took place on Tuesday May 27.
The Tamar Valley Tourism Association was set up following the Foot and Mouth epidemic in 2001, to promote the area as a visitor destination.
l Pictured above, left to right, are Margaret Blake, chairman of TAVATA, competition winner David Parriss and Hazel Farrant of Calstock Ferry.