The train’s Siemens Charger SC44 locomotive became disabled 19 miles west of Ann Arbor, Mich. The operating crew was unable to restart it or put it on standby to provide head-end power. Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliar
A decision was made to have the following westbound Wolverine, No. 353, couple to No. 351 and bring both trains to Chicago, but crews encountered difficulties in combining the two trains. Although 353 left Ann Arbor at 10:32 a.m., three hours behind 351, the combined trains didn’t arrive at Jackson, Mich., 38 miles away, until 3:30 p.m.
Employees were never able to get No. 353’s locomotive to operate the electrical system on No. 351’s passenger cars.
Amtrak spokesman Jason Abrams told MLive that a medical emergency, sticking brakes, and battery problems contributed to cascading delays along the way, followed by a lengthy stop on Norfolk Southern’s busy, multi-track main line, waiting for an Amtrak relief crew to take the combined trains into Chicago.