MST3K Vacuum formed turbo trains - how?

[Chris Moliere]

I’m trying to prepare some bucks to use for the vacuum formed toy trains on Tom Servo. However, I’ve encountered an issue. I’ve noticed that the ones used on the show have a curved edge as well as a lip which extends out from the train, a lip which isn’t present on the toy itself. How would I go about achieving the curve and lip? Both look fairly symmetrical so I’m assuming it wasn’t done by hand.

 

[signeddiamond]

I can't be sure exactly how they did it but a good idea would be to mold the train into some clay with the curve you want and then form from that.

I'm sure the originals were much less precious with the garbage they found to put these beautiful bots together so I think they likely took apart a train sanded it down, and glued it on a curved segment of the same bowl Toms skirt is made of before forming that.

 

[Chris Moliere]

I can't be sure exactly how they did it but a good idea would be to mold the train into some clay with the curve you want and then form from that.

I'm sure the originals were much less precious with the garbage they found to put these beautiful bots together so I think they likely took apart a train sanded it down, and glued it on a curved segment of the same bowl Toms skirt is made of before forming that.

That definitely sounds like the way to go. I already have a bowl, so I could probably vacuum form it and use that instead.