I wasn't sure if you were having problems at the wide part of the turnout or the narrow portion, but now it's clear. Thanks for the photos, it helped a lot.
I usually use my fingers too, but with a whole set of heavyweight cars, it's hard on them. So I also try a pair of snap ring pliers close to the axles. It usually works well.
As far as the diverging route still shorting, try grinding a tad of the inside of the rail a bit and replacing the ground away portion with epoxy. Alternatively, try adding a bit of plastic to the guard rail on the diverging route to keep the wheels from hitting the straight route's rail. It sounds like you're very close to getting them to work well.
Good luck, and keep trying!
