Ok guys. I have a question. This may sound stupid but I'm a bit unsure of this. Can you smoke any tobacco product (like cigarettes or cigars) while operating a diesel locomotive? I know that back in the 19th & 20th centuries you could smoke while operating a steamer but now that it's almost the end of 2016 I'm unsure if you can smoke while operating a diesel. Is it illegal? Please let me know.
No law against it that I know of, although there may be company policies against smoking, one 'road that springs to mind is the Reading and Northern, but that's a health policy thing, not a road safety issue.
By the way, I forget who said this but the quote was "Three things complement each other perfectly, a steam locomotive, a hot cuppa coffee, and a good cigar!"
themanofmanyrailroadsCan you smoke any tobacco product (like cigarettes or cigars) while operating a diesel locomotive?
Not on UP or CSX, which have specific bans against it. Amtrak had a policy that if everyone in the locomotive cab agreed, smoking was allowed; that changed in 2011, then apparently changed back early in 2013 -- it may have changed again since then.
One apparent way railroads impose a smoking ban is to forbid tobacco use in 'company vehicles'. A locomotive belongs to the company, and is a vehicle. That may not be exactly what the policy statement was intended to cover, but hey! now that we have it, why not use it against that foul habit? (See parallel use of things like strict scrutiny and insurance oversight in the motor-carrier industry.)
I did find one piece of interesting medical information that indicated a statistically-significant risk of increased cancer among smoking locomotive personnel exposed to the wrong sort of diesel exhaust. I invite discussion of this subject by the informed.
It's against our rules on CN (we have the same blanket policy RME described) but everyone does it anyway, even the Trainmasters smoke in their Company trucks, and I imagine it's a similar situation at the other railroads.
Personally I don't care as long as you open a window, but some guys like to hotbox the cab (don't worry it's only tobacco these days, none of that other "stuff" thank God) and that can get pretty thick and unbearable sometimes.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
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