Two trains go through a tunnel at 8:00 sharp. The tunnel is only big enough for one train to fit through. Ther

Question

Two trains go through a tunnel at 8:00 sharp. The tunnel is only big enough for one train to fit through. There is only one rail inside the tunnel. Yet, both trains come out the opposite ends, unscathed. How is this possible?

Answer 1

The halfway point of the tunnel is the time zone change.  they went thru the tunnel an hour apart.  Got anymore brain busters?

Answer 2

It's easy, if one arrived at 8:00 AM sharp, the other at 8:00 PM (20:00 on the rr) sharp.

But Rango's scenario would still be the probable outcome...

Answer 3

8:00  sharp?? Trains do not ever run on time in my world LOL :=),

The eastbound train was put in the siding hours ago and the crew is still wondering what they did to make the dispatcher mad at them this time.

They will not make the tunnel at the top of the grade on their hours of service and the dogcatch crew, being new will probably tear the thing apart trying to get started on wet slippery rail.

They will take the first cut to the top but the switches will be spiked because there is track machinery in there.

Now there are two westbounds waiting at the siding at the bottom of the hill and no one moves for the next four hours while they wait for a helper to pull the rear of the first train back down and put it away.

Oh wait, your question was hypothetical wasn't it? Not related to the real world, sorry, my bad.

Answer 4

the two trains merge at the begging of the tunnel and split up at the other end

Answer 5

Both trains run in the same direction

Answer 6

Very perplexing since trains need TWO rails to run on, not one.

But, ignoring the flaw in your question, either the trains are going through at 8 on different days, or one is 8am and the other 8pm, or they're following each other and both are in the tunnel at 8 (you don't say "enter at 8 sharp"), or one portal is in one time zone and the other end an hour ahead/behind, or both trains reverse before colliding and exit from whence they came.

Answer 7

They were able to stop before collision, and both backed out of the tunnel.