Thanks for all the replies.
Your best bet is to contact Amtrak Customer Service and report your missing keys. If the attendant found them they would be turned in and they may have them for you. Otherwise, you can decide whether to change locks, *if they are house keys?. Not likely your sleeper car will show up on a returning train anyway as noted by others here. And also not likely you would have any access to that car per Amtrak policies
It was a coach, which probably makes it even more difficult to trace, especially without a car number. Unless they're in the Chicago lost and found, those keys are gone.
It is possible they could still be wedged between the seat cushions and the frame. That is why I suggested the yard personnel could check. They know how to get in there.
That's what I'm figuring as well it it's loged in the cushion or between the seat frame that rotates and the cushion stack, beyond the reach of the typical cleaning. Thankfully it wasn't a long-distance train or Superliner, just the Lincoln Service which, if I were to guess, can turn to be the following:
- Illinois Zephyr: daily service between Chicago and Quincy, IL
- Illini Service: daily service between Chicago and Carbondale, IL
- Saluki: daily service between Chicago and Carbondale, IL
- Carl Sandburg: daily service between Chicago and Quincy, IL
- Lincoln Service: daily service between Chicago and St. Louis, MO
- River Runner-daily service between St. Louis and K.C.
Let me ask this another way: Knowing the train number (305-Lincoln Service) and date, can I find out the car # I was in? The car combination as I recall was (front to back)Engine, Horizon, Amfleet (I was in this one), amfleet, amfleet, amfleet cafe car/Business class, engine). I know the front coach car was a Horizon as I avoid sitting in them due to the intense overhead lighting.
I had already listed them with lost and found and do check with Passenger Services to see if anything turns up at Union Station or Gateway Transportation Center.
And yes, I'm figuring they are gone, and I travel enough that I've kept spares over the years with friends and at the office.
On a side note: I was on 304 on Friday back to Chicago and another passenger lost her glasses. It was an Amfleet car, the conductor came by, kicked the latch, swiveled the seat (11d/f) and out popped the glasses. Hoping I'm just as lucky.