I did a search but kept getting the “Oops” message. Can you folks help me out? My club (15 members now) has no rule with respect to smoking at the club (around the layout). There are 4 of them that smoke and 11 of us that don’t. I intend on bringing the smoking topic up at our next meeting and wanted some background (I think I know what I’m going to hear but want to hear anyway!) on what other clubs do. Do you disallow it completely? Restrict it to a closed off room? No rule? Thanks in advance.
I am not a club, but have a large layout with operators who come regularily. Mine is strickly NO SMOKING, and I include dipping and chewing in that. Visitors who come, or tours who come are given the same information. Scenery can burn, carpet will burn, curtains along the layout can burn, the nicotine will cause problems with pick up and electrical items, plus someone can get burned.
NO SMOKING
Bob
No smoking on the premises. One small smoking area outside.
Hi Dan,
I’m a smoker…but I smoke outside even at home. I just don’t want the residue all over everything, plus my wife and dog don’t smoke…so I don’t force them to breathe it in. That said, I’m a “considerate smoker.” It would be nice if there could be some accomodation for the smokers of your group.
I’ll quit here, I sense a potential, unwanted flame war about to erupt over this topic.
Good luck,
Chris[8]
Mine’s a private layout. No smoking allowed. There’s a covered patio nearby if you must.
If you’ve ever had a fire, you’d know why you don’t want anyone smoking around your layout. It took about 50 passes with the Centerlines to get things right and that was with only relatively light exposure.
Smoking in the layout room is just the same, only in slow motion. You can fool yourself at first, because it’s a slow degradation, but I’ll guarantee you won’t want the performance drop-off in the long run.
Completely agree with you Chris. I am a smoker also. There are just too many inconsiderate and careless smokers.
I wouldn’t ever think of smoking at our club, Beside the issue of secondhand smoke is the fire hazard. Hundreds of thousands of dollars could go up in SMOKE!
I don’t smoke anymore, but when I did the club rule was “Do it outside”.
Chris–
No flame war from this end. I smoke also, and have a garage layout. I do my smoking outside the house, which is NOT my garage, and I’ll agree with you, tobacco smoke has these little bitty things in it that get on the track and can build up on the track enough to interrupt smooth running. I figure that I have enough of a problem vacuuming up the pollen out here in the Sacramento Valley, I don’t need to compound it with scraping off tobacco residue, either.
Very few of my friends smoke, and those that do know that any smoking when they visit me is done outside in the back yard where it dissapates very quickly (and frankly, is absorbed by my Eucalyptus tree). But there are no ashtrays in my garage, because there is no smoking. Of course, rainy weather out here means several people crowded under my back-porch awning, LOL!
As I said, I have to run track-cleaning trains often enough just because of the Pollen around here during Spring and Summer when I’m really running the trains full force. Nature gives me enough of a problem without me adding to it with tobacco smoke.
I like to think I’m a pretty conciencous smoker, and so are my friends that smoke. It’s all about good manners, and making sure that the second-hand stuff is well away from those who don’t smoke, IMO.
Tom
Not a club, but get frequent visiting relatives (one problem with living in Sin City[(-D].) A lot of them (including both my kids) are tobaccoholics.
Smoking in the layout room - NO!
Smoking anywhere in the house? - NO!
My wife smoked for 40 years, and is now paying the price with breathing problems, including really bad reaction to tobacco smoke. I’ve never smoked, so I don’t know why I have similar problems - but I do. The upshot is, the comfort of the residents trumps the guests’ desire to smoke.
In our case, it’s not an arbitrary decision.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with locomotives and guests that don’t smoke)
I can’t imagine many clubs would permit smoking within their walls these days.
Anyway, like many of you here, I am an ex-smoker and I don’t like people smoking inside the house or where I spend my time modeling. I have a couple of friends who still smoke as does my son and for some reason I don’t seem to mind it when they smoke in my car if they have the widows open.
Truth to tell, with all of that secondary smoke about the place I may not be such an ex-smoker as I thought[:O]
Bruce[:)]
ABSOLUTELY NOT. Any one smoking on or near railroad property is tied to the tracks and we pull out the steam engine, black hat and handle bar mustache. Per “THE BOSS” (AKS MY WIFE).
Nobody smokes in my club so its never been an issue. I don’t allow anybody to smoke in my house, cars or trucks just for the simple fact that cigarette smoke stinks.
There’s a sign on my front door for all visitors to see: ‘IF YOU SMOKE LEAVE YOUR BUTT OUTSIDE!’.
Hi!
No Smoking - Except for Steam Locos & Alcos!!!
While I am a supporter of individual rights, my layout room & house is strictly off limits to smoking!!!
Mobilman44
Thanks for the opinions. I am concerned that if the club asks folks to either take it outside or not at all that the few folks that do smoke will quit the club. I am the club Secretary and we’ve gotten quite a few inquiries lately about “Is the Club family friendly?” to which I reply “Accessable yes but several folks do smoke” which then leads to “Nevermind”. I fear that we won’t be as attractive to new members if they have to tolerate smoke to join. Would any of you join, theoretically, knowing smokers are already “in”?
As Bob (bogp40) said, we don’t allow smoking in our new club building. We don’t even allow smoke units in models, and that goes for visiting modular layouts as well as on our permanent HO layout. If you want to smoke, do it outside. We have 3 awnings on the front loading dock of the new club (http://www.ssmrc.org/Front%203-08.jpg), so there’s plenty of room for what smokers we have. Counting Bob, I think there’s only a handful of guys in the club that still smoke. It’s just kinda become passe, at least in these parts.
Of course, at our old layout, smoking was allowed up until the early 1990’s. The old place was started in 1953, so smoking was normal back then. Over the years, the club had developed a certain smell, and especially when smoking was allowed, one had to take a shower before bedtime as your clothes and your hair just reeked of that unpleasant odor. Ick.
Paul A. Cutler III
Weather Or No Go New Haven
In good ol´Europe, smoking is banned from all public places. A model railroad club may not really be a public place, but smokers should, IMO, just refrain from smoking within the premises. There is always the time for a break outside…
I was a heavy smoker until 3 months ago and I am really glad to have stopped - gives me more spendable cash on the my trains!
When I was in a club years ago, we had a couple members that smoked. In time, we made it a requirement that smokers were to smoke outside of the club building.
For me, I am a smoker (just a few to get me through the day), but I rarely smoke inside unless the weather is really bad (ie. freezing cold). Even then it is only in my living room and never in any other locations in my home like near the trains. Even visitors are not allowed to smoke inside at my place. The reason is not just the trains but because of the dust and smell, which I don’t want to have since it would make it hard to hide my habit from my family when they visit. Also, the dust makes it a pain to have to dust more often and tends to dry my eyes since I wear contacts, and my cats also like to get into things, which tobacco products are a definite no no.
Kevin
There’s an “Oxygen In Use No Smoking” sign on my front door. The sign says it all. I may only use it at night but we require all smokers to go outside to smoke.
I would not belong to or visit any club that allowed smoking indoors at the layout. I can barely stand the “smoke” from the steam locos that “smoke” at trainshows
Our club layout is in a ‘Business Center’ and there is ‘No Smoking’ in the building. That settles the issue for us. Even without the landlord rules, I would not want smoking in the layout area. I have been to home layouts that are in a smoking enviroment and one can see the yellow residue! We do not allow ‘smoking’ engines as well…
Jim