[PRCo] West Penn Zone Fare System

[Fredbruhn at aol.com]

Gentlemen:
There is much of the West Penn system that I am familiar with, a lot thanks 
to Ed and titanium Fred, but one area I am a complete dunce on is how  an 
operator was able to keep track of his fares.

I am holding in front of me several WP tickets, and I'll describe them for 
both information and to be an introduction to my question.

I will stick to the Coke Division because it will take an inspection tour of 
the AV Division before I know much about it:

Grey ticket, marked WEST PENN RAILWAYS COMPANY across the top  then 
Good for a continusous Ride thru any NINE (9) ZONES with Subject to Tarriff 
Reguaations below.  Large     "9" down left side of ticket, and ticket number 
in Red
boxed at lower left.

Similiar ticket but printed This coupon good for a ONE ZONE FARE,  with small 
increasing numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 ..... in a small square lower left.  My strip 
is only 4 tickets.  The ticket number is red along right side  in vertical box.

Older fancy white ticket with West Penn Railways in arch with System below 
and 
then in fancy letters WEST PENN"  in sort of like old English sytle over top. 
 Then
"good for ride thru any one zone on all divisions.  

A couple of special tickets for information:

2 part purple ticket "Greensburg to Oakford Park" and "Oakford Park to 
Greensburg"
on date of sale only.

Three part red ticket:  McKeesport Terminal and Rainbow Gardens - Going and
Rainbow Gardens and McKeesport Terminal  - Return plus third portion "This 
coupon
good for one General Admission to Rainbow Gardens.   Back shows logo on top 
two portions plus R.G. and bottom says RAINBOW GARDENS.   

As above, but orange and to and from McKeesport (not McKeesport Terminal) and 
Olympia Park.  This ticket is not numbered as above 3 part set was.

As I remember riding Canton City Lines buses (GM's) in the late 40's all I 
had to do was drop my token in the farebox and remember where to get off.

So with all that, lets put a qualified operator (like Fred III) on the 
control of 739 at the Greensburg terminal and how does he keep his fares straight.  
Lets start with four passengers getting on at the terminal:  #1) is going to 
Latrobe,  #2) is going to Connellsville, #3) is getting off at  Youngwood  and 
#4) is a local fare.

Do they all pick up their tickets from an agent in the terminal and when do 
they surrender  them to the operator.  Obviously  the operator or agent knows 
the number of zones to each of these destinations and can sell the correct 
number of zone tickets.  

Now, several blocks from the terminal, Aunt Lizzy boards from the street and 
wants to go to Uniontown.  How does operator Fred handle this?  At the end of 
street running in Greensburg two ladies board to go shopping in Scottdale.  
How does Fred keep track of these ladies.

And so on.  If anyone can clarify this I'd appreciate it.  Even on the Shaker 
Rapid it was pretty easy, pay exit West bound and pay Enter Eastbound.  I 
figured  that one out and was not afraid to ask the operator when it was Shaker 
owned, but with the new breed of operators on RTA I don't think I'd ask.

the other Fred