History Headscratchers / StarlightExpress

** Using steam power in steam engines also requires combustible fuels such as wood, coal or oil, which are ''all'' non-renewable, so it's not as environmentally friendly as Poppa thinks.

*** According to the "Starlight Express the Musical Wiki"[[https://starlightexpressmusical.fandom.com/wiki/Caboose]] a caboose can whistle. So it is possible, that CB is whistling at Electra and not vice versa. This could also explain why Electra[[spoiler: chooses CB for the race (CB is drawing attention to himself) and not one of the Components]].

* In the original cast recording, the second 'He Whistled At Me' (sung by Dinah just before she [[spoiler:disconnects Electra]]) changes the lines from "he whistled at me" to "he never whistles at me", "I don't think he can whistle at me", "why do you never whistle at me", et cetera. Inbetween these lines, there isn't a whistle noise where there would usually be one, obviously to show that Electra does not whistle at her and is completely uninterested. So why, then, does the whistle noise return when Electra is talking to CB? Is he whistling at ''him?'' Or, if Electra really does "lack the apparatus" and cannot whistle at all, is it implying something about Electra's feelings?

* In the original cast recording, the second 'He Whistled At Me' (sung by Dinah just before she [[spoiler:disconnects Electra]]) changes the lines from "he whistled at me" to "he never whistles at me", "I don't think he can whistle at me", "why do you never whistle at me", et cetera. In between these lines, there isn't a whistle noise where there would usually be one, obviously to show that Electra does not whistle at her and is completely uninterested. So why, then, does the whistle noise return when Electra is talking to CB? Is he whistling at ''him?'' Or, if Electra really does "lack the apparatus" and cannot whistle at all, is it implying something about Electra's feelings?

* Why does Poppa have such a backwards way of thinking in regards to steam power? His main explanation for steam being a "new and better form of power" in 'Light At The End of the Tunnel' is the fact that it is more efficient than solar power ("It don't shine at night"), nuclear power ("Nuclear fission/makes nasty emission") and electricity ("Electricity's fine/'till there's leaves on the line"). However, throughout the ''entire'' musical, it's shown that the diesel and electric trains are faster, stronger, and generally much better engines. Rusty's greatness as an engine comes from his determination, courage and kindness, not the fact that he's a steamer- and Poppa himself [[spoiler:breaking down due to strain]] is the ''entire'' reason Rusty ended up taking part in the first place!

* Why does Poppa have such a backwards way of thinking in regards to steam power? His main explanation for steam being a "new and better form of power" in 'Light At The End of the Tunnel' is the fact that it is more efficient than solar power ("It don't shine at night"), nuclear power ("Nuclear fission/makes nasty emission") and electricity ("Electricity's fine/'till there's leaves on the line"). However, throughout the ''entire'' musical, it's shown that the diesel and electric trains are faster, stronger, and generally much better engines. Rusty's greatness as an engine comes from his determination, courage and kindness, not the fact that he's a steamer- and Poppa himself breaking down due to strain is the ''entire'' reason Rusty ended up taking part in the first place!
** Using steam power in steam engines also requires combustible fuel such as wood, coal or oil, which are ''all'' non-renewable, so it's not as environmentally friendly as Poppa thinks.

* In the original cast recording, the second 'He Whistled At Me' (sung by Dinah just before she disconnects Electra) changes the lines from "he whistled at me" to "he never whistles at me", "I don't think he can whistle at me", "why do you never whistle at me", et cetera. In between these lines, there isn't a whistle noise where there would usually be one, obviously to show that Electra does not whistle at her and is completely uninterested. So why, then, does the whistle noise return when Electra is talking to CB? Is he whistling at ''him?'' Or, if Electra really does "lack the apparatus" and cannot whistle at all, is it implying something about Electra's feelings?

** At first I thought that perhaps it was because Electra is panicked at this point and desperately wants to find someone to race with, but the musical makes so much of a romantic emphasis on whistling that I doubt they would make an exception here- especially since Dinah's section of the song focuses on the fact that Electra ''doesn't'' whistle at ''her.'' It's contrasted immediately, therefore, by the whistling when he talks to CB.

* Why does Poppa have such a backwards way of thinking in regards to steam power? His main explanation for steam being a "new and better form of power" in 'Light At The End of the Tunnel' is the fact that it is more efficient than solar power ("It don't shine at night"), nuclear power ("Nuclear fission/makes nasty emission") and electricity ("Electricity's fine/'till there's leaves on the line"). However, throughout the ''entire'' musical, it's shown that the diesel and electric trains are faster, stronger, and generally much better engines. Poppa himself breaking down due to strain is the entire reason Rusty ended up taking part in the first place!

* Why does Poppa have such a backwards way of thinking in regards to steam power? His main explanation for steam being a "new and better form of power" in 'Light At The End of the Tunnel' is the fact that it is more efficient than solar power ("It don't shine at night"), nuclear power ("Nuclear fission/makes nasty emission") and electricity ("Electricity's fine/'till there's leaves on the line"). However, throughout the ''entire'' musical, it's shown that the diesel and electric trains are faster, stronger, and generally much better engines. Rusty's greatness comes from his determination, courage and kindness, not his fuel source. And Poppa himself breaking down due to strain is the entire reason Rusty ended up taking part in the first place!

*** The explanation that it is simply just a repetition of the musical motif doesn't hold water either for the same reason.

* In the original cast recording, the second 'He Whistled At Me' (sung by Dinah just before she disconnects Electra) changes the lines from "he whistled at me" to "he never whistles at me", "I don't think he can whistle at me", "why do you never whistle at me", et cetera. In between these lines, there isn't a whistle noise where there would usually be one, obviously to show that Electra does not whistle at her and is completely uninterested. So why, then, does the whistle noise return when Electra is talking to CB? Is he whistling at ''him?'' Or, if Electra really does "lack the apparatus" and cannot whistle at all, is it implying something about Electra's feelings towards CB?

* In the original cast recording, the second 'He Whistled At Me' (sung by Dinah just before she disconnects Electra) changes the lines from "he whistled at me" to "he never whistles at me", "I don't think he can whistle at me", "why do you never whistle at me", et cetera. In between these lines, there isn't a whistle noise where there would usually be one, obviously to show that Electra does not whistle at her and is completely uninterested. So why, then, does the whistle noise return when Electra is talking to CB? Is he whistling at ''him?'' Or, if Electra really does "lack the apparatus" and cannot whistle at all, is it implying something about Electra's feelings?

* In the original cast recording, the second 'He Whistled At Me' (sung by Dinah just before she disconnects Electra) changes the lines from "he whistled at me" to "he never whistles at me", "I don't think he can whistle at me", "why do you never whistle at me", et cetera. In between these lines, there isn't a whistle noise where there would usually be one, obviously to show that Electra does not whistle at her and is completely uninterested.
So why, then, does the whistle noise return when Electra is talking to CB? Is he whistling at ''him?'' Or, if Electra really does "lack the apparatus" and cannot whistle at all, is it implying something about Electra's feelings?

* In the original cast recording, the second 'He Whistled At Me' (sung by Dinah just before she disconnects Electra) changes the lines from "he whistled at me" to "he never whistles at me", "I don't think he can whistle at me", "why do you never whistle at me", et cetera. In between these lines, there isn't a whistle noise where there would usually be one, obviously to show that Electra does not whistle at her. So why, then, does the whistle noise return when Electra is talking to CB? Is he whistling at ''him?'' Or, if Electra really does "lack the apparatus" and cannot whistle at all, is it implying something about Electra's feelings?

* After Dinah [[spoiler:disconnects Electra]], why would he choose CB as his partner for the final, who he knows is [[spoiler:a completely untrustworthy psychopath]], rather than one of his faithful components?