Here is a picture of a turnout I would like to detail. It is an Atlas code 100 #4 turnout. I don’t want it really detailed but enough to make it look nice. I would like to not spend much money if possible. The red arrow is pointing to the wire spring that hold the points in place.
What’s wrong with it the way it already looks?
When you say detailed, are you trying to add a ground throw of some type?
Rich
This is a shortline turnout so what would a short line use to switch their turnouts?
Take a look at NJ International.
They offer several operating switch stands for under $10.
Rich
There are a number of things can be done with a sectional or snap track turnout to improve the looks. The first one that comes to mind is not unique to turnouts but to all track, particularly Code 100, and that is painting/weathering the sides of the rails. It helps the rail look not so oversized as it does when it is shiny on the sides, which prototype rail never is.
When I have the chance I like to do this outside so I can use “rattle cans.” I take a Qtip dipped in light oil and run it on the tops of the rails – don’t spill over – so paint can be easily rubbed off the rail tops. The sooner after painting you rub the railheads clean the easier the paint comes off.
I spray an alternativing mix from two or three cans of a Krylon camoflage brownish/green, with a spurt now and then of primer red or primer gray. The focus is on the sides of the rails, but getting it on the ties is OK too. For turnouts I use bits of masking tape to protect where the points meet the rails so that electric contact is not threatened.
OK your track is already in place but rail sides can be painted and weathered rather quickly using Testor’s paint sticks in weathering colors. Experiment but try to be consisent to avoid too drastic a change in shade or color.
Look at a turnout and you will see that at the frog and across from the frog there are “guard rails.” On the prototype those would be rusty brown on the tops because no wheel ever runs on them. So that is something you can capture, again with the Testor’s paint sticks. The guard rails are cast black plastic on the Atlas but weathering them reddish brown really helps them look more real.
Then you will want to think about ballast. Ballasting around the switch points takes care but it can be done, it just cannot be done in a sloppy way or you’d gum up the turnout.
Other details? Well there are