From what little we see of the Yamato I like how it seemed like a crappier version of the Enterprise. It didn't have the wood railing and the Ready Room seemed a bit less posh.
It did have the wood railing.
It did, but it was covered by a gray/green blanket or fabric. I always found that very odd:
http://tng.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/s2/2x11/contagion008.jpg
I think that's because they actually have the console torn apart. The cover is probably there to protect the finish.