Maker record
Hruska
Gerhard Hruska’s East German firm made model railway equipment and miniature vehicles under the Permot name. From the late 1940s, its products included locomotives, rolling stock, track and electrically operated points. In 1963 it began producing Škoda S706 trucks in H0 and N scales, with multiple body and color variants. The models combined small electric motors and fine mechanical components; later truck ranges included Tatra vehicles. Permot production continued through changes in ownership and state control, with the Hruska family regaining the business in 1990.
- Founded
- 1990
- Countries
- Czech Republic
- Locations
- Czech Republic
- Founders
- Petr Hruska · Lucie Hruska
The story of Hruska
In 1947 Gerhard Hruska and business partner Streller sought permission to establish a private repair business in Glashütte, Saxony. After Streller left in 1949, the firm became Gerhard Hruska, Elektro- und Feinmechanik. Hruska used surplus electric motors to begin making model railway equipment. The Permot name, derived from permanent-magnet motors, became the trade name for the firm’s railway models. Its early products included locomotives, rolling stock, track and electrically operated points.
The firm moved from toy-like trains toward more detailed models during the 1950s. It introduced a BR 84 locomotive in 1962 and a BR 91 in 1965; both used purpose-designed mechanisms. In 1963 Hruska also began making Škoda S706 trucks in H0 and N scales, expanding the range with different configurations and colors. State participation increased from 1957, and the business was nationalized in 1972 as VEB Modellbahnzubehör Glashütte. The Permot name and truck production continued, while Gerhard Hruska was removed as director in 1975.
The plant was returned to Gerhard and his son Dieter on 28 September 1990 and renamed Hruska u. Co. GmbH; the company name changed to Hruska GmbH in late 1991. The range included Škoda trucks and, from 1992, Tatra 815 models. Tillig handled distribution from 1997. After bankruptcy proceedings began in 1999, production resumed on 30 September 2000. A 2002 flood damaged the Glashütte factory, prompting a move to Altenberg. The firm went bankrupt in 2010, and production ended.