This model railway layout in TT scale was constructed by the club “Modelleisenbahn Freunde Köln” (Model Railway Friends of Cologne), a German model railroader association. Within the association, a special department has emerged, called the “Modellbau-Team Köln” (Railway Modelling Team Cologne). This team has focused on the construction of model railroad layouts, which are shown at model train shows and model train exhibitions throughout Europe.
The team’s TT gauge layout takes an area of about eight meters in length and four meters in width. The layout can be viewed by visitors both from the front and from the back. Due to the separation of front and back two different landscapes can be represented, namely on the one hand a rural part with a single track railway and a small station and on the other hand an urban shaped part with a large central main station and electrified main line. In addition, there are imposing railway bridges.
Today, TT scale is a niche model railroading scale, whose name stands for “table top”. Its 1/120 scale and 12 mm gauge sizes it almost halfway between HO scale and N scale. Model trains in TT scale retain a comparatively small niche in the United States and in the United Kingdom, but it is the second most popular scale in the former East Germany, in Eastern Europe and Russia. Currently Tillig is the largest company to make TT scale rolling stock. Most TT scale track today is also made by Tillig Company, which offers both standard model railroad track and an integrated roadbed track. By the way, the Russian Company Peresvet (Russian: Пересвет) is another manufacturer, who produces TT scale models, mostly Russian train sets. Also the German manufacturer PIKO has started with a TT line, focusing mainly on German stock, and Arnold – the subsidiary of Hornby Railways – offers TT scale models.