On 15/01/2012 16:37, Paul Corfield wrote:
On Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:33:47 -0800 (PST), Mwmbwls
wrote:

On Dec 27 2011, 11:58 pm, wrote:
Just seen a short clip on BBC 4 in the Dark series of archival clips
on Tuesday evening (23.55). A from Earlre 'fluffers' still employed to clean the
London Underground tracks? SB

As I understand it the term "Fluffer" for a tunnel cleaner was largely
applied to female track workers recruited by London Underground and
possibly its predecessors to clean tunnels during the War(s?) when
conscription had cut down the number of men available for the job. My
Great Aunt was a Fluffer between 1940-5 working from Earl's Court. As
with many women during the war she left the job after peace was
declared as men came back from the services. Somewhere in the family
photo collection we have a picture taken of her and the rest of the
team dressed in bib and brace overalls and wearing headscarfs tied
like a turban.She said that she would come home covered with dust and
rust - I presume that cast iron brake pads were in use.

You may have missed this article in the Standard last week which
previews the arrival of the new Tunnel Cleaning Train for LU. It makes
reference to the current need to use staff to clean the tunnels.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standa...eally-sucks.do


So, what happens to the fluffers now?

On Jan 15, 4:37*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:
On Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:33:47 -0800 (PST), Mwmbwls









wrote:
On Dec 27 2011, 11:58*pm, SB wrote:
Just seen a short clip on BBC 4 in the Dark series of archival clips
on Tuesday evening (23.55). A from Earlre 'fluffers' still employed to clean the
London Underground tracks? SB

As I understand it the term "Fluffer" for a tunnel cleaner was largely
applied to female track workers recruited by London Underground and
possibly its predecessors to clean tunnels during the War(s?) when
conscription had cut down the number of men available for the job. My
Great Aunt was a Fluffer between 1940-5 working from Earl's Court. As
with many women during the war she left the job after peace was
declared as men came back from the services. Somewhere in the family
photo collection we have a picture taken of her and the rest of the
team dressed in bib and brace overalls and wearing headscarfs tied
like a turban.She said that she would come home covered with dust and
rust - I presume that cast iron brake pads were in use.

You may have missed this article in the Standard last week which
previews the arrival of the new Tunnel Cleaning Train for LU. It makes
reference to the current need to use staff to clean the tunnels.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standa...rticle-2402767...

--
Paul C

Thank you I did see that report - no doubt this will presage the
arrival of a new Underground Ernie character - Fluffy the Cleaner
tidying up after the rest of them.

On Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:54:42 +0000, Paul Corfield
wrote:

On Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:16:48 +0000, WZR wrote:

On Sun, 15 Jan 2012 16:37:12 +0000, Paul Corfield wrote:

You may have missed this article in the Standard last week which
previews the arrival of the new Tunnel Cleaning Train for LU. It makes
reference to the current need to use staff to clean the tunnels.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standa...eally-sucks.do

"The Mayor will this year begin testing an innovative new cleaning train
..."

Not personally, one hopes. Boris at the controls, now there's a scary
thought.

Well he was apparently very keen to take the Borismaster from City
Hall to T Square on launch day. He apparently had to be reminded that
he couldn't do so on the normal highway!

Not sure he's got the right licences and route knowledge for the new
TCT ;-)

And taking into account how much attention is paid by some cycling
politicians to traffic lights etc. .....

On Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:50:24 +0000, Charles Ellson wrote:

On Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:54:42 +0000, Paul Corfield
wrote:

On Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:16:48 +0000, WZR wrote:

On Sun, 15 Jan 2012 16:37:12 +0000, Paul Corfield wrote:

You may have missed this article in the Standard last week which
previews the arrival of the new Tunnel Cleaning Train for LU. It makes
reference to the current need to use staff to clean the tunnels.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standa...eally-sucks.do

"The Mayor will this year begin testing an innovative new cleaning train
..."

Not personally, one hopes. Boris at the controls, now there's a scary
thought.

Well he was apparently very keen to take the Borismaster from City
Hall to T Square on launch day. He apparently had to be reminded that
he couldn't do so on the normal highway!

Not sure he's got the right licences and route knowledge for the new
TCT ;-)

And taking into account how much attention is paid by some cycling
politicians to traffic lights etc. .....

Tripcocks!

--
WZR

On 2012\01\15 20:29, WZR wrote:
On Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:50:24 +0000, Charles Ellson wrote:

And taking into account how much attention is paid by some cycling
politicians to traffic lights etc. .....

Tripcocks!

It would be quite simple to install circular grids with grooves wide
enough for a cycle wheel at every traffic light stop line, which rotate
90 degrees every time the lights change. They could be called trip****s.

In article ,
(Paul Corfield) wrote:

On Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:33:47 -0800 (PST), Mwmbwls
wrote:

On Dec 27 2011, 11:58*pm, SB wrote:
Just seen a short clip on BBC 4 in the Dark series of archival clips
on Tuesday evening (23.55). A from Earlre 'fluffers' still employed to
clean the London Underground tracks? SB

As I understand it the term "Fluffer" for a tunnel cleaner was largely
applied to female track workers recruited by London Underground and
possibly its predecessors to clean tunnels during the War(s?) when
conscription had cut down the number of men available for the job. My
Great Aunt was a Fluffer between 1940-5 working from Earl's Court. As
with many women during the war she left the job after peace was
declared as men came back from the services. Somewhere in the family
photo collection we have a picture taken of her and the rest of the
team dressed in bib and brace overalls and wearing headscarfs tied
like a turban.She said that she would come home covered with dust and
rust - I presume that cast iron brake pads were in use.

You may have missed this article in the Standard last week which
previews the arrival of the new Tunnel Cleaning Train for LU. It makes
reference to the current need to use staff to clean the tunnels.


http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standa...4027672-heres-
a-tube-service-that-really-sucks.do

What happened to the last tunnel cleaning train which included two 1938
stock tube DMs, then?

--
Colin Rosenstiel

In article ,
wrote:
In article ,
(Paul Corfield) wrote:

On Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:33:47 -0800 (PST), Mwmbwls
wrote:

On Dec 27 2011, 11:58*pm, SB wrote:
Just seen a short clip on BBC 4 in the Dark series of archival clips
on Tuesday evening (23.55). A from Earlre 'fluffers' still employed to
clean the London Underground tracks? SB

As I understand it the term "Fluffer" for a tunnel cleaner was largely
applied to female track workers recruited by London Underground and
possibly its predecessors to clean tunnels during the War(s?) when
conscription had cut down the number of men available for the job. My
Great Aunt was a Fluffer between 1940-5 working from Earl's Court. As
with many women during the war she left the job after peace was
declared as men came back from the services. Somewhere in the family
photo collection we have a picture taken of her and the rest of the
team dressed in bib and brace overalls and wearing headscarfs tied
like a turban.She said that she would come home covered with dust and
rust - I presume that cast iron brake pads were in use.

You may have missed this article in the Standard last week which
previews the arrival of the new Tunnel Cleaning Train for LU. It makes
reference to the current need to use staff to clean the tunnels.


http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standa...4027672-heres-
a-tube-service-that-really-sucks.do

What happened to the last tunnel cleaning train which included two 1938
stock tube DMs, then?

During a circular working it disappeared up its own ... ahem.

Nick
--
"The Internet, a sort of ersatz counterfeit of real life"
-- Janet Street-Porter, BBC2, 19th March 1996

On Sun, 15 Jan 2012 21:01:08 +0000, Basil Jet wrote:

On 2012\01\15 20:29, WZR wrote:
On Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:50:24 +0000, Charles Ellson wrote:

And taking into account how much attention is paid by some cycling
politicians to traffic lights etc. .....

Tripcocks!

It would be quite simple to install circular grids with grooves wide
enough for a cycle wheel at every traffic light stop line, which rotate
90 degrees every time the lights change. They could be called trip****s.

:-)

Actually, I think the same name would suffice.


--
WZR

On Jan 15, 4:37*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:
On Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:33:47 -0800 (PST), Mwmbwls









wrote:
On Dec 27 2011, 11:58*pm, SB wrote:
Just seen a short clip on BBC 4 in the Dark series of archival clips
on Tuesday evening (23.55). A from Earlre 'fluffers' still employed to clean the
London Underground tracks? SB

As I understand it the term "Fluffer" for a tunnel cleaner was largely
applied to female track workers recruited by London Underground and
possibly its predecessors to clean tunnels during the War(s?) when
conscription had cut down the number of men available for the job. My
Great Aunt was a Fluffer between 1940-5 working from Earl's Court. As
with many women during the war she left the job after peace was
declared as men came back from the services. Somewhere in the family
photo collection we have a picture taken of her and the rest of the
team dressed in bib and brace overalls and wearing headscarfs tied
like a turban.She said that she would come home covered with dust and
rust - I presume that cast iron brake pads were in use.

You may have missed this article in the Standard last week which
previews the arrival of the new Tunnel Cleaning Train for LU. It makes
reference to the current need to use staff to clean the tunnels.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standa...rticle-2402767...

--
Paul C

Not much hope for the mice then with kind of suction. Sad really. CJB.

wrote in message
...
On Sat, 14 Jan 2012 10:12:06 -0000, "Brian Watson"
wrote:


As I understand it the term "Fluffer" for a tunnel cleaner was largely
applied to female track workers recruited by London Underground and
possibly its predecessors to clean tunnels

Are you aware it used to be common parlance in the adult film business
before Viagra rendered it obsolete?

Doesn't that industry refer to certain photographs as Tunnel shots?
I don't think they mean views of the London Underground.

Oo er, missus!

--
Brian
"Fight like the Devil, die like a gentleman."