The original form of this joke was releated to me by a co-worker, while we were recently discussing the immediate Russian past. A train was stalled on the Trans-Siberian Railway, on board were Tsar Nicholas II, Lenin, Stalin, Khruschev, Breznhev, Chernynko, Andropov, Gorbachev, and Yeltsin. Tsar Nicholas stands up and says, "I shall make this train move." He gets off the train, mounts his horse and rides off to Paris. Lenin then stands up and says, "I shall make this train move." He leaves the car and returns a few minutes later. "I've instituted a new 8 day work week," he says and sits down. The train still doesn't move. Stalin stands up and says, "I shall make this train move." He leaves the car and returns a few minutes later. "I've shot the engineer," he says as he sits down. The train still doesn't move. Khruschev then stands up and says, "I shall make this train move." He leaves the car and returns a few minutes later. "I've reinstated the engineer, posthumously," he says as he sits down. The train doesn't move. Breznhev then stands up and says, "I shall make this train move." He then instructs everyone to act like the train is moving and sits down. The train doesn't move. Chernynko and Andropov both jointly declare "We shall make this train move." They then get off the train. The train doesn't move. Gorbachev, with a sigh, stands up and says "I shall make this train move." He stands and, pulling down the window, yells outside "This train doesn't move!" Gorbachev sits back down. The train doesn't move. Yeltsin, quite put out, stands up and says "I shall change the train for one that works!" He leaves and returns shortly with a new train. As the passengers board it, they see that it is an old American Steam Engine which is owned by the Germans and has no wheels. Is this train going to move?
(From the "Rest" of RHF)