Ohhh man, LOL!!! The greatest explanation in years!!

But, wouldn't it be easier to just strap some towbars between all buses, and drive
in a column?

PerL

Noto-Gaudette wrote:

> Answer to Brainteaser #2:
>
> 2 hours, 31 min.:
>
> Ken and Jim go through (2 min.)
>
> Ken returns with light (1 min.)
>
> Mark, surprised by Ken's early return, is engaged in making popcorn,
> which he offers to Patrick and Ken with an soda (gotta be safe) for
> each. (27 min.)
>
> Mark and Patrick start across but are blocked by Jim who, concerned
> about the delay, has started back across using his parking lights.
> Confusion ensues; Jim and Mark end up on the far side but Patrick just
> stays put until Jim comes back for him. (26 min.)
>
> The three discuss. (15 min.)
>
> Jim returns. (2 min)
>
> Jim runs into Diane, who owns, in addition to her 84 Westie, an '84 GTI
> Rabbit. They eventually agree that while Jim's GTI engine swap worked
> quite nicely, there is just no way the cigarette lighter plug from the
> GTI will work in Jim's vehicle without changing the socket too. Not even
> if you use a hammer. (22 min.)
>
> The headlight vandalism continues to be the subject of the day. It is
> determined by group consensus that the reason for the headlight failure
> is not corrosion on the grounding unit, failure of the headlight
> switches, nor wiring problems, nor dead batteries, nor failure the
> ingnition switches, but is in fact the headlight glass breakage--but not
> before tech-savvy Rick uses his cellular modem first to pose the
> question to the list serv and then to do an archive search (37 min.)
>
> Jim is persuaded not to use GTI seat covers and GTI moniker trim pieces.
> (17 min.)
>
> Jim and Ken return (2 min; MISSION COMPLETE!),
>
> only to find Mark and Patrick have detached their interior dome lights,
> rerouted the wires, and hooked them up to the fronts of their buses. All
> return together in one twelve minute trip (Patrick stalled out and had
> to be push-started).
>
> oh...wait, you said *optimal* strategy--my bad. ;-)
>
> Scenerio #2: 17 Min.:
>
> Ken & Jim go through(2 min)
> Ken returns w/light, hands it off (1 min)
> Mark & Patrick go through, hand off light (10 min.)
> Jim returns w/ light (2 min.)
> Jim & Ken (2 min)
>
> Scenerio #3: 17 Min.:
> Same as Scenerio #2,  but Jim returns instead of Ken; then Ken comes and
> gets him after Mark & Patrick go through.
> Have a good time, people!
>
> George
> 83 Wet Westy
>
> > Brainteaser 2:
> > ==============
> > Instead of just hiking to the historic Hoosac rail tunnel, this year
> > Jim has decided to drive though the tunnel. (Buy is he looking for
> > trouble this year ;-) This is a bit tricky since you have to be quick
> > in order to not end up as the hood decoration on one of the passing trains.
> > Yet worse, during the night vandals struck and broke the headlights of all
> > the busses. Luckily someone has one spare 7" light. At most two busses can
> > travel through the tunnel using the one light each time. And then the light
> > has to be delivered back by one bus. Four brave busses are going:
> >
> > Ken's 5cyl conversion goes though the tunnel in 1 minute.
> > Jim's Westy "GTI" takes 2 min.
> > Mark's splitty has lost 4th gear and takes 5 min.
> > Patrick's '71 hardly runs at all (Despite his garage full of engines). 10 min.
> >
> > What is the time-optimal strategy for getting all busses through the tunnel
> > and how long does it take?
> >
> > (And you think I'm kidding! Just read about how Jim got in trouble
> > two years ago: http://www.bcn.net/~limbo/TBT97.html)
> >
> > See you at Transporters By the Tunnel!
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Martin