With the cold and snow here I've been running trains more. I have an All Nation 4-6-0 already put together and the clunk, clunk, clunk on the switches got to me and I dug out this mechanism. I don't have a lot of metal working tools so I used a new hand file to enlarge the openings in the frame by about 1/16 inch then drilled holes for the springs and temporarily put the frame together and put two axles in the bearings. I'm a long way from a powered track test but I confirmed the wheels have a little spring flex in them, and I pushed this across the switch and didn't hear the clunk. But then again it has almost no weight on it. If you look closely you can see the small gap and the spring.
It's not that I doubt Bob's comments, he has much more experience than I do, this is just a curiosity and something I wanted to try.
Does anyone have a copy of the mechanism assembly instructions? I bought mine used and with no instructions.
Next step is to install a modern gearbox.
