Foam Core N Scale T-Trak Interchange module - the result
Well, it worked!
After thinking long and hard about exactly how I was going to do this, I started by laying out the shape of the module on the 1" foam top, cutting it to shape, then hot gluing the short end pieces on the pink foam. The long straight side was next, then the curves.
The curved foam core pieces were scored with a ballpoint pen (black, of course...) every half inch (roughly 12 mm) and then bent slightly by hand at each scored line. As a result, the foam core curves are "faceted" on the exposed face, the inside of the curve... but because it's black, you can't even see that from 2 feet away.
I made no attempt to measure the length of the curves. I simply glued the pre-bent pieces to them, then cut it to length when I reached the end.
All the hot glue work was done with the pink foam top turned upside down, and the plastic folding table I was working on became the "surface plate" to keep the sides and top even .
Yet to do: Cut a couple of holes in the foam top to pass the wires for the Kato turnouts through, cut a couple of double track pieces lengthwise to go next to the turnouts (so those pieces will have concrete ties, too...), paint the ties on the single track curves to match the concrete double track, work out a way to mount leveling bolts, and of course add scenery - don't want a pink foam plain!
The module is a full Triple length T-Trak module (928mm, just under 39 inches on the longest side), so it doesn't require any "filler" pieces or an odd length matching modules on the other side of the layout like regular "junction" modules do.
Thanks, Professor.... I knew scoring cardboard and styrene sheeting worked, but it just didn't occur to me to use the same technique on something as thick as foam core.
BTW... I experimented a little with a couple of pieces of scrap... with the half-inch spacing on the scored lines, I was able to get the foam core to bend in a TWO INCH radius (roughly 50mm) without kinking. That's just crazy!
