Well, sleep did not go well. On the way out we were right next to a door leading to the viewing car. People were in and out all night and it is a very loud door.

On the way home the train hit and killed someone in the middle of the night. Which is horrifying. I was asleep when it happened (we were at the very back of the train on the way home, so a lot less movement around us by other people), so did not find out until the next day.

Everyone on the train seemed to be sick... and we were stuck in a tin can with them for the whole 33+ hours each way. After having avoid it it for years: we finally got covid. I spend a brief time in the ER (mostly out of an abundance of caution regrding some breathing irregularity). It suuuuucked.

So, yeah, the train was mostly a bust. Amtrak has a less than 24 hour from time of purchase cancelation policy, which is insane for travel. They seem to screw up peoples tickets a lot (we were seated both trips next to someone whose ticketing they had screwed up and who were supposed to have sleeper cars, but didnt get them and were told they would not be refunded the > $1k difference in price. The website advertises on train wifi: at no point was there any wifi network available to log on to. The website advertises tray tables at each seat... we did not have them on the way up. We also did not have the foot rest there is supposed to be when we were on the way up.

I do not recommend this mode of transit. It is much better for the environment, but it is so much worse for the individual. They need to find a way to make the two things meet in the middle for this to become a mode of transit I could see myself using regularly (outside of short/local trips within an hour or two).