USSR. The Baikonur space base was built in 1955, purposely named after a town 350 kilometers to the north, in the hope that the Americans would hit the wrong Baikonur. Korolev wanted it as far south as possible (an indication of his civilian priority), while the military wanted it far from the border. Korolev won, and the military got Plesetsk. It uses rail as a means of transportation. Gagarin’s original launch pad (Gagarinsky Start) is still in use for launches to the ISS. The rocket arrives at the launch pad on rails pulled by a diesel locomotive, is then lifted to a vertical position, and is then filled with propellants. Finally, at lift-off, the launch pad (Tulipan) opens.
