It seems almost a daily occurrence but here is a late example. On 7-19 the Empire Builder #8 due in at Chicago at 3:55PM arrived at 6:17pm and then on 7-20 the #8 was into Chicago at 7:16pm. The #30 to D.C. leaves at 6:10 PM. What happens to all those guaranteed a connection????
I had the same dilema with an upcoming trip from Seattle to JAX.....so, I added a day buffer in between #8 and #30, in order to ensure that I do not loose my sleeper on #30.
I've heard that AMTRAK will hold #30 for passengers on a late #8 with tickets to DC....(if 8 isn't running to terribly late).....but, it wasn't worth the risk to me to miss my connection and get 30 the next day with no room availbility.
John