To begin with let me provide some background information.
In 2008 I started the first “Prewar American Flyer Pictures - an Invitation” thread. Many of the photos of items in my collection were staged on my layout at the time -“The BlueBoard Central Division of American Flyer Lines”
In 2019 my wife and I retired, sold our home in Wausau, Wisconsin and moved to Duluth, Minnesota. At that time the BlueBoard Central and the train displays looked like this:
After innumerable hours of packing, an estate sale, and 3 trips with a 16’ U Haul truck the basement looked like this:
The plan was to purchase a home in Duluth with room for a smaller layout, displays, and a train office. This is what we found:
The blank lower level canvas.
To be continued…
Enjoying the World’s Greatest Hobby
Northwoods Flyer
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Yes ,waiting patiently, please keep us posted.
Chuck
Gas fireplace heater- nice. If you have a bathroom down there, too, you’ll never have to leave your trains 
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Matt,
There is indeed a bathroom in the lower level. Its my own world.
This is the room that was destined to become the train office. It had four blank walls and a concrete floor.
Here are a few photos of early progress.
Some walls needed painting.
Furnishings and storage
Painted floor and carpet
More display, desk and workbench
These were the first steps.
Enjoying the World’s Greatest Hobby
Northwoods Flyer
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I really like the use of the Girder-and-Panel pieces for the building being erected. Do you plan to use them again?
palallin,
Yes I plan to use the Kenner girders on the new layout. I always thought they looked great.
Northwoods Flyer
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That’s Fantastic! So much potential to build whatever fits the space best.
I like a blank slate,myself. Enjoy!
Paul
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Before I moved too much stuff into the area that I designated for the layout I tried to determine just how much space I would need.
I knew I wanted to run both Narrow and Wide Gauge. So I started with O gauge Fastrack and original Flyer Wide gauge track. And it had to be simple, no switches. Its hard to get more simple than an oval. The BlueBoard Central had an inner oval and a folded dog bone that used much more space than I allowed myself now.
The layout is not intended to be a place to do complex operations. I think of it more as a being like the old store layouts to show what the trains look like when they are operating, and to create interest.
BTW notice the color of the walls, which were a very dark cafe au lait. The next photos will show the light vellum that we painted them, and the light fixtures that we installed to replace the ones that were originally there.
Enjoying the World’s Greatest Hobby
Northwoods Flyer
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Vary nice Northwood keep us posted,
Chuck
In May of 2024 we finally got the walls painted and the new light fixtures were already installed by that time
Of course we had all kinds of stuff moved in by that time.
The sliding door on the left of the photo shows the old wall color. The stack of lumber is the base of the old BlueBoard Central which is about to be recycled into the new Arrowhead Division of American Flyer Lines. That wood is actually the foundation of an older HO layout that my dad and I purchased through an ad in the newspaper way back when I was 16 years old. We have always been a very save and recycle family.
Enjoying the World’s Greatest Hobby
Northwoods Flyer
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With help from some of my friends from church we began to set up the benchwork for the Arrowhead Division.
Enjoying the World’s Greatest Hobby
Northwoods Flyer
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I like the under-the-layout storage shelves!
I built bookshelves under one side of our O gauge layout, have a cabinet under another, and have a workbench under another (along with room for large set boxes). On the inside, there is space for storage crates. I have too much stuff and too little room to not take advantage of the opportunities 
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Sounds like a good use of space palallin. I have been working on a number of configurations for storage under the layout, reusing a number of shelving and storage units that I already have.
This is the beginning of assembling the jigsaw puzzle of blue board that I recycled from the old layout.
Enjoying the World’s Greatest Hobby
Northwoods Flyer
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Here is the “lounge” end of the train room.
Enjoying the World’s Greatest Hobby
Northwoods Flyer
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I like vary much could see hinging out talking trains here! 
Chuck
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Glad you are here to participate.
Northwoods Flyer
1 Like
Before putting the blueboard down as the base for my railroad I thought it might be nice, and a good idea, to provide some light in the depths of the storage area under the base. I had some rope lights that were not being used so I strung them from the underside of the benchwork.
The rope lights also provide a nice glow under the table when the room lights are turned off.
Enjoying the World’s Greatest Hobby
Northwoods Flyer
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This is how I positioned storage shelves on one side of the Arrowhead Division. Believe me when I say that it will fill up quickly.
These two shelves will hold prewar accessories in their original boxes.
I’m not sure what will go in the center set of shelves. The end area will have boxed sets.
Enjoying the World’s Greatest Hobby
Northwoods Flyer
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