On Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:20:12 -0700, Robert Neville
wrote:

Peter wrote:

"Fluffers"? Not heard that term in this context before. Why are they
so called?

Gee - you aren't refering to certain individuals associated with the adult film
industry, are you?

Hard to say.

On Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:12:28 +0000, Basil Jet
wrote:

On 2011\12\28 07:57, Charles Ellson wrote:
On Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:58:17 -0800 (PST),
wrote:

Just seen a short clip on BBC 4 in the Dark series of archival clips
on Tuesday evening (23.55). Are 'fluffers' still employed to clean the
London Underground tracks? SB

They've got a giant yellow vacuum cleaner now :-
http://www.trainweb.org/districtdave...rs_trains.html

More stubborn debris presumably still gets human intervention but not
so often.

The change from friction brakes to rheostat / regenerative has reduced
the problem.

Unfortunately they haven't got rid of the passengers yet otherwise the
litter/debris problem would have been mostly solved.

On 2011\12\29 01:20, Robert Neville wrote:
wrote:

"Fluffers"? Not heard that term in this context before. Why are they
so called?

Gee - you aren't refering to certain individuals associated with the adult film
industry, are you?

Thanks to Viagra, they don't exist any more.

On 29/12/2011 00:12, Basil Jet wrote:
On 2011\12\28 07:57, Charles Ellson wrote:
On Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:58:17 -0800 (PST),
wrote:

Just seen a short clip on BBC 4 in the Dark series of archival clips
on Tuesday evening (23.55). Are 'fluffers' still employed to clean the
London Underground tracks? SB

They've got a giant yellow vacuum cleaner now :-
http://www.trainweb.org/districtdave...rs_trains.html

More stubborn debris presumably still gets human intervention but not
so often.

The change from friction brakes to rheostat / regenerative has reduced
the problem.

Is there a quantifiable degree to which they have been reduced?

On Dec 28, 5:44*pm, "Pat O'Neill" wrote:
"Peter" wrote in message

... On Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:58:17 -0800 (PST), SB
wrote:

Just seen a short clip on BBC 4 in the Dark series of archival clips
on Tuesday evening (23.55). Are 'fluffers' still employed to clean the
London Underground tracks? SB

"Fluffers"? Not heard that term in this context before. Why are they
so called?

Peter.

I thought it was about luggage porters, I remember Fluffing at Dorking,
Epsom and Clapham Jct. Bit of beer money.

A very "Southern" term........

Whilst working at Victoria "fluffing" was a very lucrative business
for staff and mostly took place twixt Gatwick Express platforms and
taxis and vice versa.

A documentary, "A day in the life of Victoria" was made during my time
there and shows an old bloke who used to simply work the taxi queue,
opening doors and loading bags. He used to make a fortune. Some staff
earnt so much that they actually declared the money for tax purposes -
after they were investigated - not long after that (probably 1994 ish)
it was banned and staff were disciplined for doing it, well when they
were caught.

Richard

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.

On Jan 14, 6:33*am, 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.

Further to my recent post whilst I cannot immediately lay my hands on
the family photo - the LT museum have a picture dating from 1995 which
appears to show not much had changed.
http://www.ltmcollection.org/photos/...rge=i0 000cy9

"Mwmbwls" wrote in message
...
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.

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

--
Brian
"Fight like the Devil, die like a gentleman."
www.imagebus.co.uk/shop

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

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluffing



--
Cheers.

Roger Traviss


Photos of the late HO scale GER: -

http://www.greateasternrailway.com

For more photos not in the above album and kitbashes etc..:-
http://s94.photobucket.com/albums/l9...Great_Eastern/

On Sun, 15 Jan 2012 16:37:12 +0000, 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...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.
--
WZR