As others, I do not obsess over the appearance of the ties and such, unless they are just odd, which is rare unless you are buying a niche brand. Brand-wise, you can't go wrong with USA Trains (USAT) or LGB. I've come to favor USAT recently and will be buying from them direct when I want new (not used) track. The main thing, as others have said, is to get the largest radius that you can, or get a size larger than you think you will ever need. I'm favoring the USAT product as they have screw-down rail connectors included, are built quite well, and brand new from the manufacturer the shipping is flat rate starting at $9. Look good with my LGB track as well. I have moved to a 10' diameter curve as even locos and cars rated for 8' seem to need a larger diameter curve so not to create binding/resistance in the curves.