A TTe layout by Blair Hobson
Scale TTe (1:120)
Gauge 6.5mm
Size 6’6" x 3’

“A Taste of Alber” - Czech Narrow Gauge A TTe layout based in the south of the Czech Republic “A Taste of Alber” is a model of a station on the 760mm line in the south of the Czech Republic centred at Jindřichův Hradec. The real line still exists, run by a private company (the JHMD) who “bought” the line for 1 Czech Crown from the State! They still run a full passenger service and also steam hauled Tourist trains and some goods trains.

They use a wide variety of stock in a multitude of colours, including several steam locos used for summer specials.

Alber is an actual station on one of the lines together with its viaduct. However this layout is simply a representation of what I think is a very modelable scene rather than an exact copy. So, for instance, the buildings are all different to the original but key features such as the water crane on the viaduct and the weighbridge are as the prototype.

The model is in TT scale (1:120) using 6.5mm gauge track (from Z scale), designated TTe.

The plain track is scratchbuilt at the front of the layout using Peco code 60 rail and copper clad sleeper strip, the points Marklin Z, and Peco Z flexitrack is used in the fiddle yards. The buildings are a mixture of Czech laser cut and Auhagen plastic kits. The baseboards are made from 6mm and 9mm plywood with 1” square softwood strengthening.

Stock is a mixture of kit and scratchbuilt on Z scale mechanisms from Marklin and Rokuhan. There are several manufacturers based in the Czech Republic who produce brass kits of various items of stock and Shapeways also produce a TTe version of the Lxd2.

More information on the real line can be found on their website at www.jhmd.cz and there are a couple of books on the line and on the Steam and Diesel locomotives.