Transcontinental & Western Air   Lockheed Vega 5C    NC624E    (c/n  53)

                                    

                                      Around 1930 the novelty of air travel was beginning to wane somewhat, and a sort of obsession with
                                      speed set in.  No longer was the tried and trusty old Ford Tri-Motor fast enough.  The lines demanded
                                      more speed - at first for the carriage of mail - but later when passengers began demanding it also. TWA,
                                      along with several other carriers, played with various types of aircraft to satisfy this need.  One such was
                                      the Lockheed Vega (the first truly fast airliner) seen above at the Glendale, California, Grand Central
                                      Air Terminal in this image reproduced from a TWA house journal.   This aircraft displays the livery used
                                      just after the merger with WAE.  In fact, other than the titling of "Transcontinental & Western Air, Inc"
                                      it appears almost identical to standard WAE red and cream markings.  The image below of the same
                                      machine is via the Craig Neumayer collection.