On a Certain Train... - Can you solve it?

16. On a Certain Train...

On a certain train, the crew consists of the brakeman, the fireman, and the engineer. Their names listed alphabetically are Jones, Robinson and Smith. On the train are also three passengers with corresponding names, Mr. Jones, Mr. Robinson, and Mr. Smith. The following facts are known:
a. Mr. Robinison lives in Detroit
b. The brakeman lives exactly halfway between Detroit and Chicago
c. Mr. Jones earns exactly $20,000 a year
d. Smith oncea beat the fireman at the billiards
e. The brakeman s next door neighbor, one of the three passengers mentioned, earns exactly three times as much as the brakeman
f. The passenger living in Chicago has the same name as the brakeman.

What is the engineer s name?

Submitted by tartle · Added 29 November 2010

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Solution:

The engineer's name is Smith. Mr. Robinson lives in Detroit, and the brakeman lives halfway between Detroit and Chicago, which means the brakeman must be Jones. Since the passenger in Chicago shares the name with the brakeman, Mr. Jones must be in Chicago, leaving Mr. Smith as the engineer. Additionally, since Mr. Jones earns $20,000 a year, he cannot be the brakeman's neighbor who earns three times as much, confirming that Mr. Smith is the engineer.

Comments (4)

Lulu14 19 December 2010

Smith

gussy05 17 April 2011

Jones

ratmkino 30 May 2016

Has to be Smith if we say that Mr. Jones can't be the brakeman's neighbor because 20,000 is not divisible by 3

polarsystem 25 November 2016

a. Mr. Robinson lives in Detroit
b. The brakeman lives exactly halfway between Detroit and Chicago
c. Mr. Jones earns exactly $20,000 a year
d. Smith once beat the fireman at the billiards
e. The brakeman s next door neighbor, one of the three passengers mentioned, earns exactly three times as much as the brakeman
f. The passenger living in Chicago has the same name as the brakeman.

From a. and b.
=> Mr. Robinson is not the brakeman's next door neighbor (1)
20,000 is not divisible by 3
=> Mr. Jones is not the brakeman's next door neighbor (2)
From (1) and (2)
=> Mr. Smith is brakeman's next door neighbor (3)
From a. and (3)
=> Mr. Jones lives in Chicago (4)
From f. and (4)
=> The brakeman's name is Jones (5)
From d.
=> The fireman's name is not Smith (6)
From (5) and (6)
=> The fireman's name is Robinson (7)
From (5) and (7)
=> The engineer's name is Smith

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