An electric train is heading south. Which way is its smoke blowing?

How to think about it

1. The question invites you to reason about wind: if the train heads south, the smoke should trail north.
2. Stop and check what kind of train it is. The riddle says electric.
3. Electric trains run on power from overhead lines or a third rail and burn nothing, so they produce no smoke.
4. There is no smoke to blow in any direction.

Why “there is no smoke” is the answer

An electric locomotive has no firebox or diesel engine, so it makes no smoke at all, and the question about direction has no answer. The riddle plants the word “electric” early and hopes you skip past it to the geography. It belongs to the same family as the rooster that lays an egg on a roof.

Common wrong answers

• North. That would be true for a steam train heading south, but this train is electric.
• It depends on the wind. Wind matters only when there is smoke, and here there is none.