There is a crazy amount of logistics involved with changing locomotives around. Not just as simple as picking up a locomotive swapping it around like you could on a model railroad!! The power cables would have to be disconnected, the air turned off, the HEP cut to the body of the train (with the result of no electricity), and the actual coupling/uncoupling action. Then the mamnpower as there would most likely be two engineers and a conductor needed to make this move happen. (yard crew different than a road crew, and aren't they already busy in the yard???) Then at least one, perhaps two people on the ground to disconnect the HEP cables between the locomotives and the and train and then to reconnect them once re-coupled. Coordination with the "Glass House" would be requied as to which trackes to use for your switching. Even though it may not be a busy time then, again...easier said than done. Once this 45 min - 1 hour has passed and the train has been re-coupled together, stretched twice, the power cables reconnected, a brake test is required before the train can move an inch. Hopefully, (probably not) the new orders for the train have arrived that replaced the previous set indicating the new lead locomitive number. If you've been involved at all with railroading as an employee...this is not something to be take lightly and is NOT a simple "pen and ink change" Now...once underway (FINALLY!!) you're gonna encounter all sorts of freight trains that are on every bit of a tight (or tighter) schedule than a passenger train is and then who is gonna go first? Haven't we all noticed that when a passenger train is late it all too often gets more later?
Is there alot that has to be done? Yes!! The powers that be made the correct decision that day and replacing the wiper motor (easy in/easy out) was the only viable alternative. I think that a mere 23min late start was pretty good.
Again, it sounds to easy to simply swap the locomitives around or replace it with another. And I'm sure that most of the passengers onboard woulda thought the same thing. However, things are rarely as easy as they sound, right? For someone that is on the "outside looking in" can not always see the full picture and all the details required to complete the process. Prior to my capacity now, I had spent 8+ years within the airline industry and can share many of the views from the "other side" of air travel...but that's another story for another message board.