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Can’t add much to whats already been said about making the layout dateless.
I can say that staying in the basement building a layout made me dateless tho!
The US uses differently shaped rail use tie plates instead of chairs, don't use keys and up until the last 30 years of so used spikes instead of bolts or clips to secure rail and use rail anchors clipped to the rails on either side of the tie.
Happy ducky they arrived earlier tonight x4. Just realised one is the wrong way round though lol, but it shows both sides, the gangway and the room sides.