Brand record
Zeuke & Wegwerth
Zeuke & Wegwerth was a Berlin model railway maker whose products included model trains and accessories, with a focus on TT gauge (1:120 scale). The company presented its first TT models, including the BR 23 steam locomotive and V 200 diesel locomotive, at the Leipzig Spring Fair in 1957. Its compact railway system was developed for small layouts while retaining detail associated with larger H0 models. The company operated as Zeuke & Wegwerth KG until it became the state-owned VEB Berliner TT-Bahnen in 1972.
- Founded
- 1949
- Countries
- East Germany, Germany
- Locations
- Stadtilm, Thuringia, East Germany - Original factory location · Berlin, Germany - Current production under rebranded name
- Founders
- Werner Zeuke · Helmut Wegwerth
The story of Zeuke & Wegwerth
Werner Zeuke established a precision engineering and equipment business in Berlin-Köpenick in 1945. The Zeuke & Wegwerth KG formed in 1947, with Helmut Wegwerth as a co-partner. The company made model railways before developing its TT range; in 1957 it presented its first TT models at the Leipzig Spring Fair, including the BR 23 steam locomotive and BR V 200 diesel locomotive. TT used a 1:120 scale and 12 mm track gauge, offering a compact system for home layouts.
The product range expanded during the 1960s. The business moved production to a new building on Storkower Straße in Berlin in 1965. In 1972, Zeuke & Wegwerth became the state-owned VEB Berliner TT-Bahnen. Production continued through the 1980s, with TT models exported to neighboring socialist countries. After German reunification, the company was reprivatized as Berliner TT-Bahnen Zeuke GmbH in 1990. Insolvency proceedings began in 1993, and Tillig took over the remaining business and continued TT production.
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