Tested all redstone and rail blocks and items with simple tests - tested simple uses. Results:

Redstone:
Trapdoors have directional visual glitches.
Buttons have vertical placement visual glitches.
Fence gates are open upon placing.
Repeaters face opposite placement direction.
Comparators face opposite placement direction.
Comparators are powered upon placement.
Levers are powered upon placement.
Buttons are powered upon placement, cannot be unpowered.
Pistons are powered upon placement, automatically retract.
Sticky pistons are powered upon placement, automatically retract.

Rails/Minecarts:
All rails face 90° different to placement direction.
Placing chest minecarts on any rail crashes game badly - corrupts world if entity is not removed by third-party program.