All I want for Christmas is...

[Webbo]

It's a Xmas thread, so I'm happy going off topic.

Did you know Space Shuttle OV-101 was actually named Enterprise after the USS Enterprise in Star Trek, and the cast of Star Trek were honoured guests at the rollout?

Enterprise was never actually refitted for space flight after the original landing tests (off the back of that 747) were complete, so was never actually a spaceship. Instead they refitted OV-099 Challenger.

Does it stay on topic if I talk about wanting to spend some of Xmas building my N-scale Challenger-on-the-Launchpad?

At the risk of bringing down George's wrath upon me, here is some further info on space shuttle names. They are named after exploration/research ships from the previous 250 years with the exception of the USS Enterprise as outlined by Mustermark. HMS Endeavour (UK) was James Cook's ship. RRS Discovery (UK) was Scott's ship to the Antarctic, HMS Challenger (UK) undertook a major oceanographic research expedition in the mid-nineteenth century, RV Atlantis (US) belonged to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in the mid-twentieth century, Columbia (US) was the first US ship to circumnavigate the globe near the end of the eighteenth century, but was also the name of the command module for the Apollo 11 lunar landing. USS Columbia (NX-02) will be the second NX class starship and is named after shuttle Columbia.



Webbo

[Bealman]

I have autographed copies of Gene Cernan's The Last Man on the Moon and Jim Lovell's Apollo 13. 

Also, Gunther Wendt's autobiography The Unbroken Chain has photos of the Enterprise rollout and the cast of Star Trek, as he was involved with the shuttle programme in those days. 

Now.... I've forgotten what I want for Christmas!

[Mustermark]

I have autographed copies of Gene Cernan's The Last Man on the Moon and Jim Lovell's Apollo 13. 

Me too!  Cernan and Lovell have signed a few books in their time, I think... if you can find an unsigned one they're worth a fortune (joke... anyone seen Notting Hill?).

Webbo... so many Americans think NASA spelt Endeavour wrong!
As well as Columbia for Apollo 11 CSM, they had Endeavour for Apollo 15 CSM and Challenger for Apollo 17 LM.

Back on topic for George , and his wonderfully Xmas themed thread... I also have an Airfix model of an Apollo rocket in N-scale... and I would like nothing more that to be launched into space for Xmas!!! Tenuous, but true.

p.s. I just spent two freakin' hours putting lights up on our front porch. It doesn't get any freakin' Xmassy than that! Two hours of my life I won't get back...!  But it will be worth it just to see the smile on Liz's face when she gets home from Belgium on Friday.

[D1042 Western Princess]

A decision on what space I'm going to be allocated for my layout table top toy trains.

Just over two years ago, when I was still working as an FGW "Train Manager" (Guard, in English) I was sitting in the cabin at Reading being taken to task by an old, hard bitten Driver for reading what he called "a toy train book" but we would know as the Hornby Magazine.
I showed him some pictures in it, which he refused to believe were models, until I pointed out a coupling. He realised then that the world of model railways was no longer the oval track and a siding of his youth.