NORAC OPERATING RULES, H. Smoking

While reading through the
NORAC OPERATING RULES

H. Smoking
Employees on duty in or about passenger stations or passenger trains are prohibited from using tobacco while serving patrons or
while in their presence. Smoking in engines, except in cabs, is prohibited.

The part that confused me is:
"Smoking in engines, except in cabs, is prohibited."

Please explain this.

Please excuse my ignorance, I am just starting on trying to get into railroading.

Thanks in advance, stay safe.

I think smoking in the cab should be banned also, i dont smoke and i dont want your nasty second hand smoke either.......

Some other railroads have further restrictions - at NJT, smoking is prohibited except in Locomotive cabs, meaning that one trip would have a cab car equaling no smoking, while the next trip, the engineer is on the loco, and he could light up.

At NS we have a no smoking rule in the locomotive cab regradless of what NORAC Rule H states. The railroad can always be more restrictive with a rule.

that is true with Railroads being more restrictive than the NORAC RULES. however, some engineers will not allow you to smoke near them. Some engineers here in MNRR, will tell you to put out a cigarette, REGARDLESS if u were a Trainmaster, System Road Foreman of Engines, Superintendent or President Canito himself. When i become a locomotive engineer, i hate smoking, but then again, i hate having a bad rep with my co workers. I say if u wanna smoke near me, dont be mad when im doin 135 down the corridor with the window open! But with my fiancee's father smoking all the time and engineers i have ridden with smokin alot, u get used to it.

MNRR PA OPERATOR

"1563 ENGINE NUMBER 8741 IS LINED TRACK NUMBER ONE, IN A WESTWARD DIRECTION TO TRACK ONE, OK BY THE RED, CHECK YOUR ROUTE, LET ME KNOW WHEN UR CLEAR, FIFTHTEEN TEN HOURS, ROACH"

As with all other rules, they are broken all the time. CSXT's policy is the same, no smoking inside company buildings, vehicles and locomotives.

Some guys smoke anyway. Other guys chew. I think that chewing gives a good rush. This helps out good at just before sunrise. This is when I am most tired.

Big Mike:
Your concern is justified.
The "wording" on the rules is a bit archaic, dating back to the days when smoking was very much accepted and very popular.
Most railroads and workplaces ban smoking altogether or restrict it nearly completely.
On "my" employing railroad, the Engineer is at liberty to smoke, provided
a) He is ALONE in the cab.
b) EVERYONE in the cab does NOT object to smoking.
I personally do noot smooke, but usually make it clear that persons aboard my locomotive are welcome to light up if tthey wish, they need not wait for a stop to go outside. I don't really buy the complaint about furniture and curtains absorbing residual smoke. In fact, I really enjoy a twinge of nostalgia when I enter an old ex PRR CLOCKER coach that was used as a smoker! It transports me back to the 60's and 70's !!!
One other note about the "wording" of the above rule.
Many Railroad rules are ancesterally connected to their origins, some of them as much as a hundred years old. With this in mind, they sometimes don't translate to modern times. In particulair, I mean those in regards to communications methods. Remember,, the Book of Rules iin many cases was written back iin the days of telegraph and hand signals. Later, telephones came, MUCH later came radios and CTC and GPS etc. In most cases, the rules have been revised/rewritten to reflect modern times, however i some cases, archaic references remain.
Once again, rest assured, the rules really NO LONGER require you to breath secondhand smoke. However, a little street smartness and tact may go along way if you encounter a co-worker who is twice your weight, has 40 years service over yyou, and seems to be "stuck" in the 19th century.