It wouldn't do for a UK model, but staggered joints are still fairly common in the US and Canada, I don't know why they still do that and we don't - lower speeds perhaps? Look how many welds are in the rail closest to the camera!A very nice photo of the stock.... how many "pundits" would believe the standard of trackwork if replicated in a model? Just look at the arrangement of joints - can anyone pick out two rail joints which occur between the same pair of ties?