While at one of my favorite train watching spots today, I noticed the engineer of a BNSF locomotive smoking in the cab. Is this OK?
Rio Grande Valley, CFI,CFII
I have never seen a railroad rulebook that prohibits smoking in a locomotive cab. I guess if it is ok with the other members in the cab then it is okay to smoke. You have to check with the individual railroad.
Probably wouldn't even be noticed in a lot of GE locomotives.
It's against the rules on CSX and probably most railroads. I know of one case where a conductor got time off for a violation although it's not enforced very strictly,especially if both crew members are smokers.
mvlandsw It's against the rules on CSX and probably most railroads. I know of one case where a conductor got time off for a violation although it's not enforced very strictly,especially if both crew members are smokers.
There have been fistacufs over it on CSX, both participants were removed from service.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
BaltACD mvlandsw It's against the rules on CSX and probably most railroads. I know of one case where a conductor got time off for a violation although it's not enforced very strictly,especially if both crew members are smokers. There have been fistacufs over it on CSX, both participants were removed from service.
samfp1943 BaltACD mvlandsw It's against the rules on CSX and probably most railroads. I know of one case where a conductor got time off for a violation although it's not enforced very strictly,especially if both crew members are smokers. There have been fistacufs over it on CSX, both participants were removed from service. Especially understandable, in this day, and time when militancy on an issue seems to be the rule rather than the exception. Smoking has become a cause celebre in many quarters. The smoker is isolated, and somewhat ostrasized from others, who do not enjoy the habit. My little brother was a militant smoker who most likely earned his own unhealthy reward from the habit.
Especially understandable, in this day, and time when militancy on an issue seems to be the rule rather than the exception. Smoking has become a cause celebre in many quarters. The smoker is isolated, and somewhat ostrasized from others, who do not enjoy the habit. My little brother was a militant smoker who most likely earned his own unhealthy reward from the habit.
Thanks for the insights. I smoked a pipe for more than 30 years; I gave it up 27 years ago. I don't have a problem with smoking; I was just interested in learning what rules if any applied to smoking in the cab of a locomotive.
On my last cruise, which was a one week cruise that turned into a two week cruise thanks to Harvey, I frequently sat close to a guy who was smoking a cigar. I love the smell.
The Union Pacific policy on smoking (which I can no longer connect to from my home computer) at least used to be that there was no smoking--period--on UP property. Hardly enforcible, and undoubtedly the cause of many blind eyes being turned. But that was meant to include all offices and locomotive cabs, as well as outside areas.
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
JPS1 samfp1943 BaltACD mvlandsw It's against the rules on CSX and probably most railroads. I know of one case where a conductor got time off for a violation although it's not enforced very strictly,especially if both crew members are smokers. There have been fistacufs over it on CSX, both participants were removed from service. Especially understandable, in this day, and time when militancy on an issue seems to be the rule rather than the exception. Smoking has become a cause celebre in many quarters. The smoker is isolated, and somewhat ostrasized from others, who do not enjoy the habit. My little brother was a militant smoker who most likely earned his own unhealthy reward from the habit. Thanks for the insights. I smoked a pipe for more than 30 years; I gave it up 27 years ago. I don't have a problem with smoking; I was just interested in learning what rules if any applied to smoking in the cab of a locomotive. On my last cruise, which was a one week cruise that turned into a two week cruise thanks to Harvey, I frequently sat close to a guy who was smoking a cigar. I love the smell.
A couple of anecdotes. When the CSX's Dufford Dispatch Center was opened in Jacksonville, smoking was permitted at the dispatch consoles. With the center's original model board displays being rear projection TV screens displayed around the perimeter of the round building in front of each console - the overall illumination of the center was very subdued. Sometime after the opening when most outlying points had been transfered to Jacksonville the company photographers showed up to take some 'publicity picture'. For the photogs to set up their shots that lighting in the building had to have the lights turned 'full on'. When that was done it was discovered that there was a cloud of smoke hovering from about 8 feet above the C level floor to the ceiling. Subsequently, smoking at the consoles was prohibited, however, it was then permitted in the 'break room'. The break room had a 'Smokeater' device installed to filter out the smoke. A couple of years later, smoking inside the center was banned and all smoking was supposed to take place 30 feet from the doorways.
In High School our baseball coach was a cigar smoker. He drove a VW Beetle, I made the mistake of accepting a ride home with him ONE time. The cigar stench was overwhelming. Never made that mistake again.
BaltACD A couple of years later, smoking inside the center was banned and all smoking was supposed to take place 30 feet from the doorways.
There was a similar progression at the federal facility where I worked - smoke at your desk, then to the break rooms (one for the admin folks, one for the wire people), then down to one break room, and finally outside, where they got a "bus stop" enclosure to keep them out of the weather (an important consideration in the dead of winter). There are still smokers, but their numbers seem to be dwindling.
One bone of contention on the topic was the heavy smokers, who seemed to take a 15 minute break every hour, while the non-smokers toiled away at their desks.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
tree68One bone of contention on the topic was the heavy smokers, who seemed to take a 15 minute break every hour, while the non-smokers toiled away at their desks.
More than once I heard stories in the army that guys started smoking when they saw that smokers were getting breaks that they weren't.
_____________
"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
JPS1 While at one of my favorite train watching spots today, I noticed the engineer of a BNSF locomotive smoking in the cab. Is this OK?
Depends on what they were smoking....
Here in Ontario, no. And as usual.. we've taken it to the illogical extreme. A couple of years ago an owner-operator truck driver got a fine for smoking in his cab. His truck.. he was the only one in the truck..
I remember reading on the Reading and Northern website they have a strict "no smoking" policy, both on the property and on the trains.
Who knows, it could be for practicality. Maybe it gets them a break on employee health insurance costs?
I was talking to a crew member on a ferry boat in Canada this summer and his theory is that if someone smoked in the 1930s, 40s and early 50s it was due to ignorance. They didn't know that smoking was harmful. Now if someone smokes it is just ignorant.
New Jersey Transit has a strict policy against smoking by train crews, and it's enforced. Since many engineers may operate several trainsets during their worday, it would be easy for someone to notice a violator.
There is a song from World War 1 that includes " if the Camels don't get you the Fatimas will". Both popular cigerate brands.
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
DSchmitt There is a song from World War 1 that includes " if the Camels don't get you the Fatimas will". Both popular cigerate brands.
Tried both - back in the day!
I remember reading an item in a 1970s era issue if Railroad Magazine. The item dated to the early 1900s. It seemed that some railroads would not hire and might fire cigarette smokers. Other forms of tobacco use were OK (pipe, cigar, chewing tobacco) but not cigarettes.
Jeff
runnerdude48I was talking to a crew member on a ferry boat in Canada this summer and his theory is that if someone smoked in the 1930s, 40s and early 50s it was due to ignorance. They didn't know that smoking was harmful. Now if someone smokes it is just ignorant.
One must remember that at one point, cigarettes were being advertised as being more or less healthy.
Credit Stanford University for both of these images.
http://tobacco.stanford.edu/tobacco_web/images/tobacco_ads/doctors_smoking/more_doctors_smoke_camels/medium/camels_doctors_whiteshirt.jpg
jeffhergert I remember reading an item in a 1970s era issue if Railroad Magazine. The item dated to the early 1900s. It seemed that some railroads would not hire and might fire cigarette smokers. Other forms of tobacco use were OK (pipe, cigar, chewing tobacco) but not cigarettes. Jeff
In the pre-World War One days cigarette smoking by men was considered effeminate, and a man who smoked cigarettes was considered "a little light on his feet," to use an old euphamism. REAL men smoked pipes, cigars, or chewed.
World War One changed that. There was no way to enjoy a pipe or cigar in combat, so cigarettes it was, or nothing. They took up a lot less room, took less time to smoke, and were easier to pack around and less easily damaged than cigars. And the "terbaccer" chewers? Sometimes they had to chew cigarette tobacco when the cut plug didn't come through. (Everybody can stop for a shudder break now.)
By the way, at the time wrist watches were considered effeminate as well, real men used pocket watches, and the more they approached turnip size the better! However, pocket watches were impractical in the trenches so wrist watches caught on and never went away.
And the song went...
"Good morning Mr. Zip-Zip-Zip, with your hair cut short as mine,
Good morning Mr. Zip-Zip-Zip, gee you're surely looking fine!
Ashes to ashes and dust to dust, if the Camels don't get you the Fatimas must,
Good morning Mr. Zip-Zip-Zip, with your hair cut short as mine!"
Kind of a dopey song, I guess you had to be there. It's no "Long Way To Tipperary."
HEY! Guess what I just found?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8kNpGTPbvk
Makes a little more sense now.
And God bless all those Doughboys, sailors, pioneer aviators and Marines now gone down "The Long, Long, Trail."
Long post, 'scuse me, I'm gonna step outside for a smoke.
Yeah, I know, shame on me, "Smoking takes ten years off your life."
So what? They're the worst ten years anyway.
Firelock76 Ashes to ashes and dust to dust, if the Camels don't get you the Fatimas must,
http://petekellysblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/rocky-rockwell.html
Firelock76-- You and I would good pals, of that I have no doubt!
Thank you Miningman, I'm flattered!
As a "Thank you," and continuing with the WW1 musical theme, here's something for yourself and your friends north of the border...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPLS5nNFWTU
It's the great John McCormack singing "It's a Long Way To Tipperary." I don't know if there's any Canadians in that slide show of British forces but maybe there are. And for the railroad purists, look what shows up around 2:10.
And maybe our courses will cross one day and we can hoist a few together!
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