"John Rowland" writes:

I forgot to ask... are the "fanshafters" on the group interested in the
location of the access shafts?

closet "fanshafter" [1] comes out of fanshaft-closet ;-)

Well, I *do* have a near-insatiable appetite for finding out about tunnel
works, whether they be for human transport or not. I suppose this is a
"yes" then! Thanks for the v.interesting link.

[1] - Being a hopeless pedant, I squirm at seeing a noun used as a verb;
but a certain person (he knows who he is) has done this so much with the
noun "fan-shaft" that the present participle of the "verbed noun"
("fan-shafting") has begun to exist in its own right. My ears pricked
up, though, when I saw the noun that describes "one who goes
a-fan-shafting" being used on Usenet, though!

To fanshaft -- to make an exploration, sometimes but not always in
specific locations, in order to determine the location and exact use of
construction, access or ventilation shafts leading from the surface down
to tunnel level (usually thus-far for tunnels relating to the
Underground).

I fanshaft
You fanshaft
He/She/It fanshafts
We fanshaft
You (pl) fanshaft
They fanshaft

Present participle - fanshafting
Past participle - fanshafted

Fanshafter - one who goes a-fanshafting


I'll get me coat!

--
Richard.
http://www.squarewheels.org.uk/