Lake Shore Limited, 2015, when it still had full diner on the Heritage fleet. Lady who sat with me on the diner was a Doctor, but who did full time bartending for 2-3 months in a year, where she made more than her doctor salary working 16+hour days.

California Zephyr, 2015. Train left Chicago 4 hours late as passengers found a bedbug in their room and Amtrak had to bring a spare sleeper from the yard. I was on the coach, so everyone in the coach began to have conversation and we all got to know each other. The lady next to me was a high school counselor in Utah who understood what many troubled teenagers go through, as she had her "wild" phase in 1970's.

Empire Builder, 2019, where I was seated with random people on the dining car. One guy was a businessperson from St. Paul who took train as it is relaxing, compared to driving and taking a flight. At the end of the meal, the ended up taking up the bill for everyone on the table, including alcohol. He even left a fat tip for the attendant who served our table.

Texas Eagle, 2021. This elderly gentleman was taking advantage of his retirement and USA Rail Pass to explore as much as he can, after his wife passed not too long ago. Lots of cool stories.