L. A. Thompson's Scenic Railway was the first concession on the Zone to be finished and the first to operate. Built in three months in the spring of 1914, it was running by June and earned nearly half its cost before the Exposition opened. Even here the fair's color scheme ruled: the elephants on its front were tinted to specifications from Jules Guérin.
Todd called it "an attraction as staple as groceries." It ran without a break through the whole season and took in over $51,000. The Marine Cafe stood across the street.