Train delays

From: "Julia Hemminger" mehr077@gmail.com

I am writing an historical fiction novel set in the early 1870's, about a young married couple making a land claim. The setting is a small town in Wisconsin.

What caused train delays, and how long did they last, for instance, if it was a mechanical issue, how long would it take to get the part and/or fix if the town was approximately 80 miles north of Madison? What usually caused delays? ...

—Julia Hemminger