Yeah, one of the real nail-biters of the whole Amtrak funding thing is that as they fight tooth and nail for operating budget and repairs to the blasted NEC, the LD rolling stock is falling apart a little worse every day, being "maintained" by the two primary tools of the onboard staff - if it moves and shouldn't, they use duct tape. If it doesn't move, but should, then they use WD40. It's almost as bad as the old telephone company installer's motto: "Beat to Fit, Paint to Match." The next thing we'll probably see is pickup-truck-style bumper stickers on all the LD rolling stock that says "Honk if parts fall off." Unless they actually do start ordering some replacement equipment, sooner or later the funding issue for operations becomes moot. Which is scary.
You know, all through out my life I have heard the expression "Let's get back to basics." Now that we are having elections in our state that's a very common phrase. My point is this; The Sunset pulled up to a power switch in Houston, this week, and the Conductor, A/C and engineer could not figure out how to line a power switch by hand. Incidentally, this happened in Houston right outside Englewood (SP) yard. Someone smarted off to the dispatcher on the radio and said, "You know this IS a FIRST CLASS TRAIN." Not half a second went by when the dispatcher sternly told Mr. Smarty Pants that it was going to be a very dead (hours of service law) First Class train if three ALLEDGEDLY qualified train crew men could not figure out how to hand line a switch after receiving all the necessary permission.
What finally happened was the train was backed up to another signal to where it could be cross overed without having to hand throw the switch. NOW...back in my braking days if I wasn't running ahead of the engine and putting my switch key in the lock I would be in an investigation in short order and probably had some time off. Todays gang doesn't seem to care and what's worse yet they don't seem to even know, or care, what the "basics" are. It's not just the equipment it's the Einsteins that Amtrak has hired to run it.
Just as a back up~ our sleeper ran out of water on #58 going to Chicago last week. When I woke up the car attendant told me the car was out of water and nobody could use the toilet or the shower. Just about that time the LSA came breezing through on her way to the diner. "Hey guys, you can use our car to take a shower. We have plenty of water." It would not have made anymore work for our attendant but I promise you he did not have a fist full of cash after we backed in and de-trained at CUS well showered to boot.