I wont argue that I love trains, but I also love the idea of taking tickets, interacting with the customers, resolving problems (mechanically, inter-personally, or logistically). I like the idea of having to feel the train for its speed and know what signal is coming up and know which station is next and determining if a customer has an emergency can we stop at the next station or is the train moving too fast to safely stop here. I love the idea of getting on and off the train, switching tracks, coupling and decoupling, etc. Is that too much railfan for Amtrak to actually hire. While I love trains, I don't think it would distract me from the job. Not to mention, I already work in an industry with strict government oversight, so I am fully aware of how strict things can get on the job.
If I lived in Seattle for example, I would think OBS on the Empire Builder would be amazing, also, you would have a chance to build rapport with customers, probably build stronger relationships with co-workers, etc. But I don't think I would have the daily challenges and responsibility that would motivate me for many years.
I have already thrown out Engineer on my list of dream job because there is no customer interaction, that is why I am leaning towards conductor. Also, someone mentioned it took 5 years to get hired. Is that typical? In reading any job description, it looks like i could be over qualified for some jobs and certainly meet the expectations for most.