The P&WV Hi-Line

[PWVJer]

The Passenger Station at Rook seemed to have a fair amount of activity in the 1920's.
The small village of Rook, or the Wabash Station could not always be the end destination of the paying passengers.
Not many private cars or good local roads in this time period.
With no direct Traction service connections here's an interesting local answer.

The Oriole Bus line Co.


The new Pittsburgh line was restricted due to operating through PRCo territory in Pittsburgh's West End and ran closed door from Downtown to Greentree. The line was certified by the Pennsylvania PSC on July 25, 1921 for operation. John Collavo, who then operated the company under his own name, thus became the first independent operator to serve Downtown Pittsburgh directly.

The Pittsburgh to Greentree line was extended in the fall of 1921 from the current terminus of Banksville and Carnahan Roads to the Pittsburgh & West Virginia Railroad's Rook Station. Collavo renewed this line with the PSC in 1923 and 1925. Also in November of 1925, PSC granted approval for a new branch line for the Collavo operation. This branch line served Mt. Lebanon and terminated at Bower Hill & Cochran Roads. This branch line soon became more patronized than the Downtown to Greentree line. The original feeder route that was given up in 1921 was restarted by Bigi Bus Lines and ran mostly on the original routing that Collavo had run on.

Here's a history link to the 33 independant Pittsburgh(Bus) Co's... long before PAT.

http://www.amcap.org/history/pghhistory/index.shtml