What are Amtrak onboard employees called?

Trainmen.

A sleeping car attendant is no longer a "porter", and certainly not "George" (after George Pullman). Sometimes they leave you a card in your "room" with their first name. If not, I go with "Could you please.....".

Conductor, coach attendant, sleeping car attendant, service attendant.

And in the locomotive:  engineer.

Thanks guys! Exactly what I was looking for! 

As a bonus, here's a pic of the gorgeous interior of the Viewliner diner. If only all passengers could eat real food in it....

The main "plus" of the dining car is meeting and talking to fellow travelers. On one trip we met a couple from Australia that were touring the US. Although the meals are included if you are in a sleeper, be sure to leave a tip.

What's the matter with "Steward?"

stew·ard

/ˈst(y)o͞oərd/

Learn to pronounce

I will let you know what the attendants are called when I get back from Key West in February.

"Sir" …..

Richie C. posted:

"Sir" …..

Even the females?

Hot Water posted:

Richie C. posted:

"Sir" …..

Even the females?

Good catch - must be my age - or "Ms."; "Miss" or "Ma'am"; as appropriate !

Bill, Jim, Henry, Linda, Jennifer, Diane, etc... (-;

I was referring to their job titles as answered above. I know how to address people when speaking to them. 

I think this thread really has 2 questions...1. What are train crew job titles, and 2. How do you address those people. 

Based on my last few trips with the family on the NE corridor, "overhead."

Another bunch of nasty cracks about Amtrak employees. 

For years I regularly went from DC to Boston on the Acela Express or to Florida aboard the AutoTrain.  It was virtually commuter rail for me.  Once my wife & I went to L.A. from DC aboard the Capitol Limited and the Southwest Chief.  The food was always good, sometimes outstanding.  The service was always superb.  But, I always speak politely to the crew, which many do not---they are not your servants, but people doing a job.  Treat them as you expect to be treated. 

I took first class aboard the Acela so I could do some work in a single seat.  The impeccable main cabin attendant always introduce himself as "Mr. xxx" and his staff as Mr zzz or Miss yyy.

Joe Hoehman is absolutely correct about the dining car.  You meet and converse with a variety of people.

RJR posted:

Another bunch of nasty cracks about Amtrak employees. 

My wife is on the train (or soon will be) heading home from New York City to Pittsburgh's Amtrak station as I write this. I have to drive to Pittsburgh this evening to retrieve her. She loves New York and loves taking the train to get there, and has done so numerous times in recent years. She has always enjoyed the train-riding experience and has nothing but good things to say about the onboard Amtrak employees.

Almost all Amtrak on-board employees try to please the passengers.  Occasionally, one will encounter a lazy or indifferent one, but not with any regularity.  

Alan, would your wife be willing to ask an on-board employee during her upcoming trip, what the official title is, for each of the various on-board positions?  That would be a great help in answering the root question on the thread.

Whenever a person is "helping" me, such as a checkout at WalMart or wait staff at a restaurant, and they have a name tag, I try to call them by their given name. If nothing else, a smile and a kind word will usually get you service beyond your wildest dreams. These people provide services to you that are boring, repetitive, and at times, demeaning. Treating them like a "real" person costs you nothing and will "make their day." 

Vandalia Guy, you are absolutely correct.  And I try to always use the last name, if on the nametag, prefixed by Mr or Ms.  Manners never hurts.

eddie g posted:

I will let you know what the attendants are called when I get back from Key West in February.

Any word on the Meteor or Star dining car situation? I have not booked my March trip yet.

Allan Miller posted:

Conductor, coach attendant, sleeping car attendant, service attendant.

Assistant Conductor as well.

I have traveled Amtrak extensively over most all routes except New England.  98% of the staff have been good to excellent. I do have tales of several extremely horrific staff but they are rare and many years ago.  Those few bad stories have become humorous tales retold between my fellow Amtrak fan friends and regular riders.  As one who promotes Amtrak travel and advocates improved support, I generally do not tell the bad stories which were few, yet entertaining.  The 98% of staff were great, and some absolutely exceeded at top notch service.  I always tip sleeping car Attendants and treat everyone nicely.  I remember the names of both the outstanding crew, and the few nasty ones.  Some I wrote letters to Amtrak about their service, usually good.  I will never forget Cleotis on the Sunset Limited, he was old school, hard working and kept that sleeping car clean and stocked with amenities. Cleotis wiped off the hand rails at each station stop. I will never forget that trip.  Dining car Steward John Long who possibly saved my life with the heimlich as I choked on some food on the Capitol Limited.  I met Gloria Steinem on an Amtrak dining car on #29 the Capitol Limited, as well as Pearl Bailey on the Broadway Limited.  Also remember the night I rode the very last westbound Three Rivers train from Akron Ohio to Chicago, the Conductor crew change took place as I recall maybe Fostoria or Waterloo, but I will never forget seeing her saddened face with a tear in her eye as we departed west as her final shift ended that night.  That train was always full, and that night most were college age passengers unaware that this train was making its last miles.  

 For work I am able to fly, and have flown the country and international untold miles.  I have NO such stories from those flights!  The train is a gem to be appreciated, it's like no other travel experience. 

Yes in all my trips the staff has been exemplary. It's clear that they're frustrated with some of the recent changes, most notably the new dining car policy. On one of my recent rides, an employee called it "absolute lunacy".

Will Ebbert posted:

 It's clear that they're frustrated with some of the recent changes, most notably the new dining car policy. On one of my recent rides, an employee called it "absolute lunacy".

On the one hand, the dining car was not used much, if at all, by the coach passengers (yes, they can use it) on our 4 overnight trips. The tables were never over 2/3rds full. On the other hand, they may loose some of the travelers riding for the fun of it, as opposed the the "fear of flying" group. What we don't know is how many passengers on "overnight" trains are only on them for a few station stops, such as Richmond, VA to Florence, SC. That may be a larger number than we think.

I have never seen an Amtrak dining car that did not require 3 or 4 reserved seating calls for dinner. These reservation times were offered first to sleepers then to coach passengers.  Generally 530pm, 630pm. 730pm, 830pm calls for dinner.  They gave you a paper with your reserved time.  Sometimes if in coach you would have to wait for a later seating.  I never was declined a reservation and never saw any open seats. I think the dining car staff performed well serving those that wanted dinner.  

The bulk of my Amtrak travels were early 1990s through early 2000s.   

All my experience so far has been on the Crescent and the diner was heavily used by all passengers. Lunch and dinner were very popular among coach passengers. The food options in the cafe car just aren't substantial food anyone riding in coach for more than a few hours. 

Will Ebbert posted:

.... new dining car policy. On one of my recent rides, an employee called it "absolute lunacy".

I'm curious, what is the new dining car policy?

My wife and I have discussed possibly taking a train trip in the future instead of flying just to see more of the country. 

Joe, I believe that you are going to eat in a section of the club car saved for sleeping car passengers. They going to bring in hot meals in some sort of box. I will be back about the 1st of March and will post here what they have done.  Ed

I believe I told this story some time back?

 I was on a train from Boston to Buffalo at night. It didn't run to Niagara Falls back then. I took a cab the rest of the way.

 When there were no concerts for more than a few days, I went home. We weren't fed on our days off (not well on the rest either) and I didn't have much money. I saw a guy coming to check on us for maybe tickets?, and I asked him, "Sir, is it possible to get anything to eat?" He said no, it was too late for real food. He then asked what I wanted? I replied anything and he said he'd see what he could do.

 He returned back and took me to a place to eat with a large plate with turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy I think. I don't remember exactly what it cost but it couldn't have been much more than a few dollars. I gulped it down and remember thinking how great it was. I kept thanking him and I still remember him for doing that since 1986! I loved riding that train!

I called him Sir, but he might just have been an angel? You can give him another train service road name if you wish. I may not have all the details perfect but that was a worker(s) who went above his duty.

bobotech posted:

Will Ebbert posted:

.... new dining car policy. On one of my recent rides, an employee called it "absolute lunacy".

I'm curious, what is the new dining car policy?

My wife and I have discussed possibly taking a train trip in the future instead of flying just to see more of the country. 

On the single level east coast trains, only sleeping car passengers are allowed in the dining car and all the food is prepackaged and only heated onboard (much like airline food). Western trains are still business as usual with real food and open for all passengers.

It's like airline food because Richard Anderson is in charge. BIG MISTAKE.

For those of you who found the dining cars to be busy...was this during the summer? Our trips were in March and May. It was easy to see who was a coach passenger because they would have to enter from the other end. 

eddie g posted:

Joe, I believe that you are going to eat in a section of the club car saved for sleeping car passengers. They going to bring in hot meals in some sort of box. I will be back about the 1st of March and will post here what they have done.  Ed

Eddie g, here's what you will get for dinner anywhere east of Chicago or New Orleans. Breakfast is a miserable soggy version of an egg muffin I call the "Egg AmMuffin."

Meanwhile read this article about what our Canadien friends do about dinner:

https://www.insider.com/via-ra...-food-review-2019-11

eddie g posted:

It's like airline food because Richard Anderson is in charge.

If it's like airline meals in "first class", I'll be very happy. Just returned yesterday from our trip to Brazil, and the meals on American Airlines were all very nice. Of course, for certain people, nothing is up the their personal standards.

Kudos to VandaliaGuy for being aware of catching the name on someones nameplate.  It is a " trick" that i sometimes remember....anywhere i go i try to use it. 

I just wish my wifes parents had used name tags when i met ALL EIGHT SIBLINGS....lol. Now i DO NEED nametags for remembering the names of my 20 plus nieces and nephews...