[PRCo] Pgh bus terminals

[Harold Geissenheimer]

Greetings

About American Buslines.  They started in the 1930's prewar.  Grew
out of some older Trailways franchises.  They had large Fitzjohn parlor
coaches until replaced by post war ACF-Brills.  Always First class
service with pillows, etc.  Fast also because they often could only
carry interstate passengers.  From Pittsburgh, you had to ride to
Camden or Trenton, not Phila or Easton.

Continental American originated 5 star service somplete with snacks,
bevcrages and an on-board hostess

After the war, they tried again to join the Trailways netwrok but
were prevented by some of the railroad owned Traiilways
like Santa Fe.   Then American puchased Burlington Trailways from
the CB&Q.  American still could not get in.

The problem was solved when people in Dallas formed Continental
out of several Texas lines snd then expanded.   They eventually
purchased Santa Fe, MP, etc as well as American Burlington
This lasted until Greyhound took over and ended much service.

Railroads owned or part owned man Greyhound lines at one time.
Penn Greyhound, Central Greyhound, Richmond Greyhound, New England
Greyhound, Overland Greyhound (UP) and Northland Greyhound were
RR connected until eventually the Greyhound Corp took them over.

At Trailways, Santa Fe, MP and Burlington were RR connected

Some RR bus lines were independent.  B&O had West Va Transportation.
B&M/MC also independent.  Blue Rridge was owned by Potomas Edison

Many others were independent..Martz, Adirondak, Capitol, Safeway
and Virginia Stage Line and most southern systems.

Carolina Trailways and Vermont Transit were later acquired by Greyhound
but operated independently.

 Trailways is a voluntary association with common marketing, colors, etc.
The association still exists

 From the 1930's to the 1970's, the Intercity bus industry was well 
coordinated
thru the National Bus Traffic Association which set thru rates coast to 
coast
and provided a clearing house for interline tickets.  For eample, you 
could board
a Harmony bus in Oil City, travel to Pgh, change to an American bus to 
St Louis,
then a MP bus to destination.  Both Greyhound and Trailways supported 
this concept..

Package Express was the same.  Even coast to coast.
Russels Guide gave accurate schedule information.  Many
service men used this to get home during World War II and
the Korean War.

Like the railroads, passes and half fares were standard.  I
had a Central Greyhound and Edwards pass while at
Harmony..  My mother and father had half fares from
NYC to Pittsburgh to visit me on either American or
Edwards.  They did not use Greyhound by choice.

When I lived in Penn Hills, I frequentlly used my pass
to go to work downtown on Edwards.  They had 3
local round trips from Apollo-Vandergrift.  These
were purchased by Deere Brothers and then became part
of PAT.  PAT sill has a red flyer route out there

Compared to todays many airline competitors, the intercity
bus industry worked well together.

Harold Geissenheimer