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L. A. Thompson Railroad Badge (now known as the "Roller Coaster")

Currency:USD Category:Western Americana / Collectibles - Railroad Start Price:100.00 USD Estimated At:200.00 - 400.00 USD
L. A. Thompson Railroad Badge (now known as the  Roller Coaster )
SOLD
80.00USD+ (19.20) buyer's premium + applicable fees & taxes.
This item SOLD at 2016 Dec 10 @ 17:22UTC-8 : PST/AKDT
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The L. A. Thompson was a tourist railroad. It had a restaurant in the middle of the run. This is badge 51. The back has no markings. Lamarcus Adna Thompson was born in Jersey, Ohio on March 8th, 1848. The man would become known as the "father of gravity." He would build the first roller coaster in Pennsylvania called the Mauch Chunk Switch Back which was an 18 mile, mostly downhill course that featured a 2,300 foot, 665 foot high drop at the end. After opening another in Coney Island, he headed to California. The L.A. Thompson in Venice combined the thrill of his first roller coasters with visual effects including artificial hills, lights, and replicas of temples. (George Garfield & Robert Greenawalt Railway Express and Wells Fargo Collection) State: California City: Venice Date: c1920 FHWAC#: 41715