Yeah, Matt, here I am...you guys are too quick for me! :)
My patent collection is woefully inadequate, but John Miller's 1922 patent (#1,409,750) shows a coaster train with flanged wheels organized in a channel-style track so as to make derailments impossible. A Herb Schmeck patent from 1931 (#1,814,969) clearly shows a rigid up-stop rail beneath an inboard flange on the track rail. John Miller's 1931 patent #1,825,468 shows an up-stop riding below an angle-iron bolted to the inboard edge of the track. Certain Miller coasters, notably two of the three Kennywoodies (Thunderbolt and Racer) use this configuration, except that instead of using up-stops, those trains put the guide wheel below the angle-iron so that the guide wheels themselves serve as up-stops. Oh...that configuration is shown in Miller's patent #1,827,162 (1931). Finally, Schmeck's 1931 patent #1,839,054 not only shows the now-common three-wheel truck design, it also shows the articulated rear axle as used on most modern PTC trains. So I guess I was wrong about the industry being married to a
John Allen train design...it's a Herb Schmeck design. On Page 206 of The Incredible Scream Machine, Dr. Cartmell shows a drawing based on a 1916 John Miller drawing, but does not indicate a patent number. The point is, the idea of using up-stop wheels goes back to at least 1916, and the only wood coasters I know of that do not have some form of up-stop are the Clementon Jack Rabbit (which may now have up-stops since the accident) and Lakemont Park's Leap The Dips.
The trains on Son of Beast are a remarkably conventional design, only with extra large road wheels. Each of the 6-passenger cars has a rear axle that can bank along the car's longitudinal centerline, with a road wheel on each side, a guide wheel on each side, and an upstop wheel on each side. In the front, there are three wheels fixed on each side of the car..愀 爀漀愀搀 眀栀攀攀氀Ⰰ 愀 最甀椀搀攀 眀栀攀攀氀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 愀渀 甀瀀ⴀ猀琀漀瀀 眀栀攀攀氀⸀ 䄀猀 愀 挀漀渀猀攀焀甀攀渀挀攀 漀昀 琀栀椀猀Ⰰ 眀栀攀渀 琀栀攀 琀爀愀椀渀 瘀愀氀氀椀攀搀 愀琀 琀栀攀 戀漀琀琀漀洀 漀昀 琀栀攀 昀椀爀猀琀 栀攀氀椀砀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 瀀愀爀欀 猀琀愀昀昀 栀愀搀 琀漀 挀甀琀 猀攀挀琀椀漀渀猀 漀昀 琀栀攀 漀甀琀猀椀搀攀 爀愀椀氀 眀椀琀栀 戀甀琀挀栀攀爀 猀愀眀猀 椀渀 漀爀搀攀爀 琀漀 最攀琀 琀栀攀 挀愀爀猀 氀漀漀猀攀 琀漀 爀攀猀攀琀 琀栀攀洀 眀椀琀栀 愀 挀爀愀渀攀⸀ ⠀夀攀猀Ⰰ 琀栀攀礀 爀攀瀀愀椀爀攀搀 琀栀攀 琀爀愀挀欀 猀攀挀琀椀漀渀 眀栀攀渀 琀栀攀礀 眀攀爀攀 搀漀渀攀⸀ 㰀椀洀最 猀爀挀㴀∀⼀昀漀爀甀洀猀⼀椀洀愀最攀猀⼀猀洀椀氀攀⸀最椀昀∀ 戀漀爀搀攀爀㴀∀ ∀㸀 ⤀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀圀栀攀渀 䬀椀渀最猀 䤀猀氀愀渀搀 栀漀猀琀攀搀 愀 一䄀倀䠀䄀 攀瘀攀渀琀 氀愀琀攀 氀愀猀琀 猀攀愀猀漀渀Ⰰ 眀攀 眀攀爀攀 琀漀氀搀 琀栀愀琀 琀栀攀礀 栀愀搀 挀漀渀猀椀搀攀爀攀搀 戀甀椀氀搀椀渀最 琀栀攀 氀漀漀瀀 猀琀爀甀挀琀甀爀攀 眀椀琀栀 愀 栀椀最栀ⴀ琀攀挀栀 氀愀洀椀渀愀琀攀搀 眀漀漀搀 愀爀挀栀 ⠀愀 ∀瀀愀爀愀氀愀洀 猀琀爀甀挀琀甀爀攀∀ 琀栀攀礀 挀愀氀氀攀搀 椀琀⤀ 戀甀琀 琀栀愀琀 栀愀猀 渀攀瘀攀爀 戀攀攀渀 搀漀渀攀 漀渀 愀 挀漀愀猀琀攀爀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 猀甀挀栀 愀 猀琀爀甀挀琀甀爀攀 眀漀甀氀搀 戀攀 漀渀攀 瀀椀攀挀攀 眀栀椀挀栀 挀漀甀氀搀 爀攀愀氀氀礀 渀漀琀 戀攀 攀愀猀椀氀礀 猀攀爀瘀椀挀攀搀⸀⸀⸀琀栀攀礀 眀漀甀氀搀 栀愀瘀攀 琀漀 戀甀椀氀搀 琀眀漀 氀漀漀瀀 猀琀爀甀挀琀甀爀攀猀 愀渀搀 戀攀 瀀爀攀瀀愀爀攀搀 琀漀 猀眀愀瀀 琀栀攀洀 漀瘀攀爀渀椀最栀琀 椀昀 琀栀攀 猀琀爀甀挀琀甀爀攀 昀愀椀氀攀搀⸀ 伀渀 琀栀攀 漀琀栀攀爀 栀愀渀搀Ⰰ 戀礀 甀猀椀渀最 愀 猀琀攀攀氀 猀琀爀甀挀琀甀爀攀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 猀琀爀甀挀琀甀爀攀 挀愀渀 戀攀 攀愀猀椀氀礀 猀攀爀瘀椀挀攀搀 眀椀琀栀 愀 眀攀氀搀椀渀最 琀漀爀挀栀 愀渀搀 愀 眀爀攀渀挀栀⸀ 䤀琀✀猀 愀 氀漀漀瀀 猀琀爀甀挀琀甀爀攀 愀渀搀 愀 眀栀漀氀攀 戀甀渀挀栀 漀昀 猀琀攀攀氀 琀爀愀挀欀 琀椀攀猀 眀攀氀搀攀搀 椀渀 瀀氀愀挀攀㬀 琀栀攀 氀愀洀椀渀愀琀攀搀 ⠀挀漀渀瘀攀渀琀椀漀渀愀氀⤀ 眀漀漀搀 琀爀愀挀欀 椀猀 琀栀攀渀 戀漀氀琀攀搀 琀漀 琀栀攀 琀爀愀挀欀 琀椀攀猀⸀ 䄀渀搀 椀琀 眀漀爀欀猀 昀愀椀爀氀礀 眀攀氀氀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀ⴀⴀ䐀愀瘀攀 䄀氀琀栀漀昀昀Ⰰ 䨀爀⸀
