Alan - do a youtube search on hand laying O scale track and you'll find a video series an other how-to documents. The Fast Track company https://www.handlaidtrack.com/ has a document library with how info. There are many different approaches to hand laying track. Several friends build their turnouts using jigs and fixtures sold by Fast Tracks. I use flex track (several brands) and hand lay turnouts with castings from Right-O-Way (http://www.right-o-way.us) For special locations (like curved turnouts) I file and solder rail to build a frog to fit. How far one details turnouts is a personal choice. Generally I spike the rail every 4th tie (except at the points) and omit tie plates. If desired you can fill in spikes later on. Making guard rails from rail scrap can further save cost.
Things I use:
- free turnout templates downloaded from the NMRA or Fast Tracks : https://www.handlaidtrack.com/...templates-o-turnouts
- ****NMRA track gauge ****
- spikes
- rail joiners
- wood ties (I use Kappler)
- rail (R-O-W)
- R-O-W castings (Frog, points, guard rails + other components as desired for desired level of detail)
- needle nose pliers (I like MicroMark's Xuron spiking pliers), Dremel with cutoff wheel, soldering gun/iron, flux
Bottom line recommendation - pick an approach and adapt as you learn by doing. By the third turnout you'll be pretty good at it. As for wiring - it is just like using commercial turnouts. Cut 4 gaps around the frog like on the AtlasO turnout ( I fill the gaps with thin plastic strips epoxyed in place and filed to contour) .
If you want to further discuss building turnouts recommend you start a new thread.
Below is a photo of one of my turnouts made with R-O-W frog, point, and guard rail castings - I did not go for the highest level of prototype detail but modest cost and easy to build.
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