Amtrak Sleeper Car Attendant Brings Old-Fashioned Hospitality to the Rails

Amtrak may thrive on business travelers and commuters in the Northeast corridor, but many vacationers have a soft spot for Amtrak's long-distance routes. They may not have the same reputation as their counterparts in Japan, for instance, but the nostalgic appeal is strong: sleeping in a private cabin, eating pancakes while mountains and deserts roll by, and most of all, getting to know the other people on the train. [caption id="attachment_316330" align="alignright" width="173"] Amtrak sleeper car attendant Mary Malone has been working long-distance routes for nearly a decade. Photo by Amtrak.[/caption] Sleeper car attendants like Mary Malone keep that nostalgia alive. Born and raised in Chicago, Malone learned that Amtrak was hiring from a visitor to her church — Malone has been with Amtrak almost nine years now, a sleeper car attendant for the entirety. She’s currently working the Empire Builder — running from Chicago to Seattle and alternately Portland, Oregon — but she’s wo