THE DAY THE THRILLS ARRIVED!

       WEDNESDY, JUNE 16, 2021

THE DAY THE THRILLS ARRIVED!

  It was June 16th., 1884! A new amusement

ride opened to the public at Coney Island

Park. It was called the Switchback Railroad.

It was the first American roller coaster! But

both the name and the idea came from the

coal fields of Pennsylvania.  Back in 1882

the Summit and Mach Chunk Railroad built

a rail line betweek Summit Hill and Mach

Chunk (you know it now as Jim Thorpe).

I operated strictly by gravity. And it was used

to haul coal. Eventually people started to pay

a nickle to ride the coasting cars over the nearly

9-mile-stretch. Lamarkus Thompson saw the

success of the line as an attraction and brought

the idea to Coney Island. Eventually the track

was turned into a circular route so people didn't

have to get off at one end and reboard. The

Roller Coaster! Bone in Pennsylvania! Hope you're

well and that all your NEWS is good.