Craziest Drama on Amtrak you've seen?

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I recently retired from a city police department. The Lake Shore Limited had a stop in my jurisdiction

Over my thirty three years I was on the train for medical emergencies, drunks, overdoses and other call types.

The small aisles made for many challenges. They were never designed for dealing with medical emergencies or combative subjects.

Most of the people kicked off the train were allowed back on the next day without any charges. Some would continue their behavior after the train left and be arrested for their actions not related to their Amtrak issue.

While I never personally knew the Amtrak crews we always had great cooperation with them.
 
Summer of 2000. I had booked a theatre directing and teaching gig for the summer at a summer camp in Maine. Took Amtrak from my then-home in Seattle to Boston (pre-Downeaster days so I didn't get to take it all the way to ME) at the beginning of the summer, then spent some time in NYC before going back to Seattle.

On the Empire Builder on the way back I was partying with a few guys that started on the LSL from NYP to CUS. Hippy types younger than me (I turned 30 that summer) going back to college in Montana. This is back when the Superliners still had those lower-level smoking compartments in one of the coaches (and the LSL we got to smoke in one-half of the cafe car, which seems so ridiculous today). Back in those days those smoking rooms could be a real party room for an entire ride, and get out of hand sometimes. So we had been going nonstop for over two days, lots of alcohol being drunk and lots of weed being smoked (it was really easy to smoke pot in those smoking compartments). One the second afternoon/evening on the EB (my third day partying with a core of this group) things started to get weird. A lot of us had been drunk/stoned for a good few days at this point and people were getting loopy, some were getting aggressive.

There was an older women in her 50s that was partying with us as well, she was mixing her own drinks from her stash she brought on board, and not holding her liqueur very well, but the college guys were drunk-bonding with her. It was getting to the the point that I felt we could be getting in trouble with the conductor for the loudness, the lewdness, and the overall ****ry that was starting to go on.

One of the hippy guys then pulls out a couple of glow sticks and he and the very drunk older women start waving them around while falling over each other in the middle of the smoking room. Suddenly they decide to break open the glow sticks and they start waving their arms around and splattering all that neon-green liquid all over the walls, floor and ceiling of the smoking compartment.

"That's it, I'm outta here." I thought. And I got my ass away from that room as fast as I could. When I left the two of them couldn't even stand up and that green **** was all over the room and all over them.

Later the hippy guy shows up in our coach car being escorted by the conductor, who throws him down in his seat. "You stay there until I put you off the train at the next stop!" (I think we were coming up on Essex next). Conductor leaves to deal with the mess.

Hippy kid got up a few minutes later and walked back toward the car with the smoking compartment. When he came back a little while later I found out where he had gone. He went and found the conductor, offered to clean the room himself and then go back and sit in his seat for the rest of the trip if he would just let him and the older woman - who had passed out and had to be carried back to her seat - continue on to their stops. He was getting off at Whitefish and she was going to Libby I believe. And the conductor agreed.

Smoking room was pretty sedate for the rest of the trip to Seattle. And also really clean.
 
Summer of 2000. I had booked a theatre directing and teaching gig for the summer at a summer camp in Maine. Took Amtrak from my then-home in Seattle to Boston (pre-Downeaster days so I didn't get to take it all the way to ME) at the beginning of the summer, then spent some time in NYC before going back to Seattle.

On the Empire Builder on the way back I was partying with a few guys that started on the LSL from NYP to CUS. Hippy types younger than me (I turned 30 that summer) going back to college in Montana. This is back when the Superliners still had those lower-level smoking compartments in one of the coaches (and the LSL we got to smoke in one-half of the cafe car, which seems so ridiculous today). Back in those days those smoking rooms could be a real party room for an entire ride, and get out of hand sometimes. So we had been going nonstop for over two days, lots of alcohol being drunk and lots of weed being smoked (it was really easy to smoke pot in those smoking compartments). One the second afternoon/evening on the EB (my third day partying with a core of this group) things started to get weird. A lot of us had been drunk/stoned for a good few days at this point and people were getting loopy, some were getting aggressive.

There was an older women in her 50s that was partying with us as well, she was mixing her own drinks from her stash she brought on board, and not holding her liqueur very well, but the college guys were drunk-bonding with her. It was getting to the the point that I felt we could be getting in trouble with the conductor for the loudness, the lewdness, and the overall ****ry that was starting to go on.

One of the hippy guys then pulls out a couple of glow sticks and he and the very drunk older women start waving them around while falling over each other in the middle of the smoking room. Suddenly they decide to break open the glow sticks and they start waving their arms around and splattering all that neon-green liquid all over the walls, floor and ceiling of the smoking compartment.

"That's it, I'm outta here." I thought. And I got my ass away from that room as fast as I could. When I left the two of them couldn't even stand up and that green **** was all over the room and all over them.

Later the hippy guy shows up in our coach car being escorted by the conductor, who throws him down in his seat. "You stay there until I put you off the train at the next stop!" (I think we were coming up on Essex next). Conductor leaves to deal with the mess.

Hippy kid got up a few minutes later and walked back toward the car with the smoking compartment. When he came back a little while later I found out where he had gone. He went and found the conductor, offered to clean the room himself and then go back and sit in his seat for the rest of the trip if he would just let him and the older woman - who had passed out and had to be carried back to her seat - continue on to their stops. He was getting off at Whitefish and she was going to Libby I believe. And the conductor agreed.

Smoking room was pretty sedate for the rest of the trip to Seattle. And also really clean.
This is classic.

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Wow, that's an awesome story! Props to the hippy guy for thinking of that, and to the conductor for agreeing!
 
-Was on the Zephyr in the winter and we hit a boulder that had fallen on the tracks. They had to shut down the engines, so no heat/electricity while they inspected the engines for damage... Sat in the cafe car playing cards in the dark for what seemed an eternity, until they finally gave us the all clear!

-Was somewhere around 5-7 hours late on the coast starlight once lol...

-Ive seen people get arrested. The conductor radioed ahead to the police, and had them meet us at a random grade crossing and stopped the train so they could escort him to jail!
 
Deni, that's quite a story!
That summer just about every train ride I took has a story (like getting high with Amish guys on the way from Seattle to Chicago) but that final ride home definitely takes the cake.
 
Wow, that's an awesome story! Props to the hippy guy for thinking of that, and to the conductor for agreeing!
He was lucky who was the conductor that night. Back when I took that train a lot in the late 90s and early 00s I seemed to always have one of two conductors on the western portion of the EB, there was the "cool" one and the old crotchety one. The old guy busted our balls and threatened to kick people off the train all the time for having food and drinks in the smoking compartment (it was seriously the only place on the whole train you couldn't eat or drink). The cool guy would not enforce that rule and told us if we kept it clean and under control in there he wouldn't shut down our good time.

I saw the conductor on another run a year or two later and brought up that night, he had a good chuckle remembering it.
 
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A few years ago on a trip to West Palm Beach, a re-booking error not discovered until I was in Club Acela at Washington Union bumped me down to Meteor Coach until Richmond, at which point I was upgraded to the H-Room (Viewliner H is by far the best you can get on Amtrak). As we were boarding, it was quickly discovered the Coaches were overbooked; I offered my seat saying I will ride it out in the Lounge.

As we got underway, the AC began arguing with a Miami-bound woman who had taken seat in the little Conductor's office, saying she refused to sit with a seat mate in Coach. It was obvious she was trucked up on pills. The argument continued with those of us at the nearby tables watching and listening; the Conductor was working on his paperwork, but when he heard enough, he firmly reminded the lady either she goes to the Coaches or the next stop is hers. She finally stormed off, but loudly said "F-YOU" to the Conductor, who firmly replied "it looks like Richmond will be your stop." He then got on the phone to arrange a welcoming party for her.

While a few of us chatted with the Conductors, word came back the woman had locked herself in the lav in one of the Coaches. Finally, when we pulled into Richmond, at least 2 police cars and several officers were standing by; several minutes later they dragged her by on the platform, kicking and screaming so loud we could hear her in the Lounge. So instead of going to visit Miami, she likely ended up with a minimum of several months in Richmond, earning 3 hots and a cot.
 
Story 1: I'm glad I got the sleeper

Many years ago, I booked the Coast Starlight from the Bay Area down to Southern California, where my sister was living at the time. Since it's a day trip, I saved a few dollars and booked coach. I was leaving a few days before Thanksgiving and guess people weren't booking the extra sleeper; Amtrak called and gave a good deal to upgrade to a roomette.

Tracking the train the night before, I see that it's late and getting later. By the time I get up in the morning, it's almost 14 hours late. It makes up a few hours during the day, but I end up getting on around 8pm instead of 8am. My day trip is now an overnight.

Based on talking to the passengers and crew, it turns out that most of the switches in the mountains were frozen, and UP wasn't sending out switch tenders in advance. Every time the train came to a stuck switch, they'd have to wait for UP crew to come and free it.

Story 2: Turns out there's a stop between here and there

Again on the CS, this time going north to Portland. I'm sitting in the Parlour Car talking with other passengers when an exasperated conductor comes in.

A passenger who got on during the night had been causing problems on and off, but always straightened up when asked. But now that the next stop of Portland was his stop, he figures that he can do whatever he wants, and is now bouncing off the walls of the cafe, badmouthing the attendant and any customers down there. The conductor, however, has an easy solution.

A few minutes later, we make an unscheduled stop at the station in Oregon City, where local police are waiting. The man apparently sees that the jig is up and is quietly escorted to one of the police cars. We still arrive in Portland early!

Story 3: Sir, can you step off the train so that we can discuss this?

Riding the Southwest Chief to LA. We make the stop at Williams Junction, where a British tour group gets on. Down the hall from me in the sleepers are two women preparing to get off at their stop in Kingman.

A man with a British accent begins yelling at the ladies that they're in the wrong room and need to get out. He's very insistent that this is his room, and that they need to vacate. He eventually bullies them into leaving, and they go downstairs to the vestibule, where they apparently tell their story to the attendant.

The attendant checks his manifest and comes up to talk to the man. After finding that his printed ticket shows that he should be in the room, but that the manifest does not, he calls in the conductor. And this is where things start to go sideways.

The conductor comes up and explains that there's clearly been a mistake and apologizes. The man won't accept it. The conductor asks him to move to another room until the ladies get off at the next stop. He angrily refuses. The conductor tells the man that, if he doesn't vacate the room, that he'll call the police, and they'll make him do it. The man grouses and continues to refuse to leave. The conductor radios to the assistant conductor to call the police, and our attendant goes around telling folks to stay in their rooms until this is sorted out. The conductor has the rest of the train buttoned up.

A few minutes later, the local sheriff has two cars with lights out on the road, and an officer comes aboard and asks the man to step off the train so that they can discuss the situation. After getting the whole song and dance routine about its his room, the officer tells him that he can either walk off or be forcibly removed. The man decides to grab his bag to step off peacefully.

After getting off, the officer listens to the conductor explain what happened, and, then, the man had to sheepishly admit what he had done. He unsuccessfully tries to argue his case. The officer asks the conductor if he would let the man back on the train, and he answers in the negative. They lead the man off to one of the cars, the conductor boards, and we are on our way.

Talking to some of the tour group members in the morning, I discovered that this man had been the tour leader, hired by the British tour company to take them around. The whole group was going to be arriving in LA shortly, with nary an idea of where to go or what to do.
 
Many years ago north bound on Eagle to FTW . In lounge along with another fan. suddenly he yells out "Hang on ,, hang on " Then shortly after lounge lurches to the right along with the screams from other passengers. After stopping everyone talks to each other and every one says no injuries. Story engineer missed a diverging of the train onto siding which he entered at track speed..

Then the fun begins. Conductor comes thru asking how every one is ---- Complaints start coming to him but other fan nudges us and says we need to tell truth. Conductor gets our information and then goes back and tells other " hurts" that someone disputes their claim. They shut up and never heard back from Amtrak.

Other fan saw loco swing over and called hang on. We both noted that the search light signals very difficult to see in bright sunlight.
 
Story 3: Sir, can you step off the train so that we can discuss this?

Talking to some of the tour group members in the morning, I discovered that this man had been the tour leader, hired by the British tour company to take them around. The whole group was going to be arriving in LA shortly, with nary an idea of where to go or what to do.
Wow...cant help but laugh, but the tour group or its leader isn't laughing.
 
Story 3: Sir, can you step off the train so that we can discuss this?

Talking to some of the tour group members in the morning, I discovered that this man had been the tour leader, hired by the British tour company to take them around. The whole group was going to be arriving in LA shortly, with nary an idea of where to go or what to do.
Wow...cant help but laugh, but the tour group or its leader isn't laughing.
Members of the tour certainly seemed worried. Even if someone from the tour company came to meet them at LAUS, they wouldn't know who it was.

I hope that they at least held the guy overnight. And that he lost his job. You just don't treat people that way.
 
I once witnessed someone who had such a bad stench they had to be removed from the train. ...
Have you traveled with Amish who frequent the SWC? They get off/on the train at RAT or ABQ, then ferried to Mexico for discounted medical care. When you're seated next or even across from them in the diner, you discover they are shy but nice folks, but that they also do not believe in deodorant. Dinners can be pretty gamey, but one breakfast we had through KC was "...oooooh, my goodness... wow...".

Let's see. A couple of fun events in past travels. Recounted here before, extended SWC stop in ABQ with two guys toking on the platform. Somebody on the crew saw this, they were barred from reentering the train, and local LE was summoned. Their spouses were on the train, and continued east. Oops. Announcement was made after we departed, "No smoking of any substance will be tolerated on Amtrak trains or in Amtrak stations," or something to that effect.

Smoker, probably drunk IIRC, on CZ removed in the Middle of Nowhere, Nebraska, LE waiting at a dirt road crossing. Minor drama.

An episode where we wished for some drama was one CZ trip with some clowns who were on at CHI and were making it a point that the train was to be "drunk party central" on their trip to DEN, with roomettes across the aisle. Loud voices, loud music, smoking... and the SCA made himself scarce the entire trip. I didn't want to leave the room to summon the conductor since they were spilling over into the aisle and it would have been pretty obvious at 2 a.m. who ratted on 'em.

A not-fun drama was rescuing my father when he was put off in FMD, a three-hour drive from St. Louis. His meds were out of balance and the resulting dementia episode (known as "sundowning syndrome") disturbed other coach passengers. I had told him knowing his condition before the trip that he and his partner needed a roomette, but, no, he insisted on coach. Overnight in the hospital, and he was on the next day's train.
 
I was on a Silver Meteor that detured through the port of Savanna around a derailment on the former ACL SAL diamond. there was room for a switch engine and two coaches between the derailment and a trailing point switch to the industrial lead. The Star, Auto train, and Meteor were set over two cars at a time onto the industrial track . The meteor was third in line and delayed over 6 hours.
 
We were in the dining car stopped in Mineola, Texas, aboard the Texas Eagle. The service door to the dining car was open downstairs while we were stopped. I looked out the window and saw a very determined man walking towards the door. I flagged down the dining car attendant to let them know and they brushed me off acting like I had no idea what I was talking about. Next thing we here is yelling from downstairs in the kitchen and then the cook came upstairs to say this guy had come into the lower level of the dining car. He was angry that the train consist was in his way and barged in, opening the opposite door and then walking out on the other side.

That was probably the most excitement outside of people generally complaining about timetables and whatnot.
 
On the Eagle, eastbound to San Antonio, a guy was escorted off the train for bringing a bunch of alcohol onboard. I didn't get the full story but I saw the CD, AC, and LSA walk past me with many bottles o booze.

Later that day I heard some pax in the SSL talking about some guy being kicked off. Figure it was him.
 
I boarded the Sunset Limited in LAX to go to Tucson. We left promptly on schedule late at night and pretty soon these younger ladies came frantically up the coach car griping that they were not suppose to be on the train. They were just seeing off a family member and decided to hang out on the train. I seem to remember them saying their car was either parked illegally or perhaps one of them had to be at work in a few minutes. Either way it was going to be a long and expensive taxi ride back to LAX from Pomona. The conductor certainly couldn't stop the train anywhere else. I remember them making announcements that the train was leaving soon.
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I guess they could have gotten a free ride, along with free silver bracelets to the grey bar hotel by breaking the law.
 
I was once waiting in the Club Acela in Washington, DC for my train home when this lady came in with a "service dog" who must have flunked service dog training school. He was growling and barking at everybody, and the lady herself seemed a bit "off." Not sure how she got entrance into the First Class Lounge. Anyway, the lounge attendant finally came by and suggested that she might want to get the dog under control, or at least stop barking at people. (The dog was pretty large, but the lady had him on a leash, so it wasn't like I felt in danger of being bitten or anything.) The lady pushed back at the attendant, starting to claim that the Americans with Disability Act gave her the right to be in the lounge with this "service dog." The attendant, still being reasonably polite, retorted that there were limits to ADA accommodation, and a poorly trained service dog could lead to being ejected.

I didn't see how the incident ended, because the called my train, and I left to board it. I've never encountered anybody else with a poorly trained service dog, so at least this isn't a common occurrence.
 
Seems like this thread has been ressurected.


On the Sunset Limited a man had a medical emergency (I believe a heart attack). We stopped, from what I could tell, in the middle of nowhere desert and were stopped for quite some time while an ambulance came out to meet us. Because we were stopped for a while, we were allowed to step off and walked around outside. Honestly I don't remember what happened to the man, only that it felt that we were in the middle of nowhere.


I believe, on a different trip on the Sunset Limited, someone was escorted off at Deming. Can't be sure though.
 
Guess my story will be quite "tame" by comparison!

Anywho, in July 2017, I was returning home from Orlando, FL to Portsmouth, VA on the Silver Star (I would be transferring to a Northeast Regional in Richmond to go to Newport News). I was in coach, and a few people on the other side of the aisle from me almost got into a fight. No one was put off the train; it didn't get to that point.

😁
 
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The only thing I saw was a man walked down into the kitchen in the diner. The LSA followed him down the stairs and yelled at him to go back upstairs.
I have only ever taken 1 trip on Amtrak.
 
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I was once waiting in the Club Acela in Washington, DC for my train home when this lady came in with a "service dog" who must have flunked service dog training school. He was growling and barking at everybody, and the lady herself seemed a bit "off." Not sure how she got entrance into the First Class Lounge. Anyway, the lounge attendant finally came by and suggested that she might want to get the dog under control, or at least stop barking at people. (The dog was pretty large, but the lady had him on a leash, so it wasn't like I felt in danger of being bitten or anything.) The lady pushed back at the attendant, starting to claim that the Americans with Disability Act gave her the right to be in the lounge with this "service dog." The attendant, still being reasonably polite, retorted that there were limits to ADA accommodation, and a poorly trained service dog could lead to being ejected.

I didn't see how the incident ended, because the called my train, and I left to board it. I've never encountered anybody else with a poorly trained service dog, so at least this isn't a common occurrence.
Service animal stories are always more interesting on airplanes, but I've seen one relieve itself (#2) in the VIA lounge in Montreal. The owner left almost immediately to board her train, leaving the deposit and a debate over who was responsible for cleaning it up. Meanwhile the odor became sufficient for several of us to line up at the boarding gate a little ahead of arrival time, without seeing how it was resolved.
 
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