Base Rail Location inside-outside

As long as you are consistant it doesn't matter.  This is AC.

I think the "Base/Outside" rail standard that appears in most AF documentation is to simplify wiring for small home layouts, especially when operating car accessories are used. Remember that things like dump cars and other cars that pick up "base" power need to have their metal pickup wheels on the base (always "hot") rail. With small layouts this typically means that you want your accessory to unload to the "inside" of the layout. The "third rail" that contacts the pickup shoe on an operating car is designed to operate with the assumption that the metal pickup wheel will always be on the base rail.

Of course, you can swap the base rail to the inside, but that means you have to compensate by setting up your accessories accordingly. I'm guessing old A.C. was thinking more about the kid with a 4-by-6 or 4-by-8 layout with no room to have his dump cars unload to the outside edge of the table. Of course, if you don't intend to operate stuff like dump cars, cattle cars, or the like, or if you have plenty of room to allow operation to the "outside" of the layout, there are no restrictions.

Either rail can be connected to the base post of the transformer. If the unloading direction of the action car does not put the metal pickup wheels on the base post rail they can be reversed in the truck. as stated above, the instruction manuals were written to show a standard, reliable way to hook up simple layouts without reverse loops. 

Bill, 

Thank you both for the quick response, I was thinking I would be ok, as long as I remember which is which.  So I wrote it down, now I just have to remember where I put it.

Craig,

Thank you for responding, I agree it might be a pain with some accessories, as long as I remember which is which I can probably swap the wheel sets or the trip placement to make it work.

Thank you both,

Aflyer 

Just my 2 cents but doing it right the first time eliminates the need to flip wheelsets and anything else that comes up. I've been down this road.

FlyerRich,

I think "doing it right the first time" is a great idea, but it is too late for that.  Now I am looking for input to see if it really matters, as we are talking about an AC layout.

Thank you,

Aflyer

Having built and operated over 40 AF layouts over the years I can advise that it does not matter which rail is connected to the base post. Consider a simple figure 8 layout. The outside rail on one side of the crossing is the inside rail on the other side! Also it is likely some of the pickup wheels in the trucks of action cars were reversed over the past 60 years of use by prior owners (unless they are all your originals.) Just verify all the connections around the layout are consistent so there are no shorts. 

If you are using action cars put each on the track with the action side facing the desired direction. Put the pickup clip on the track so the sliding shoe contacts it. If the two pickup wheels are not on the base post rail just reverse them in the truck. 

Have fun!

Tom,

Good point on the figure 8 layout.  I think I will leave it as is and keep running it.  And continue building the upper loop.

I can get at both of these sections pretty easily, so if I need to change the insulated rail for the accessories I can do it later without much problem.  

I should have mentioned these insulated areas are to operate a 799 Union Station, and a 755 Talking Mystic station.  Not sure how many more accessories I may be adding to that loop.

Thank you,

Aflyer