Bmoran,
I am not sure how the presence of this flat spring could aid at all in electrical contact, since it pushes the wheels upwards and away from the rails carrying the current, not down onto them. Unless of course the cast iron body can carry an electrical charge up through the body and into the engine, in which case the spring, which is in contact with both the metal truck which houses the wheels touching the track, and the cast iron body of the engine, acts as a separate source for carrying a current to the engine.
But, , , what do I know???
Mannyrock