WHO’S IN CHARGE HERE? - All Aboard: The Complete North American Train Travel Guide - page 121

ask. But please, be considerate. Don't roust the poor soul in the
middle of the night for some trivial request. By the same token,
don't hesitate to call if you have a legitimate need—if you fall ill,
for example.
The typical workday for a train attendant is 16-18 hours
long. It would be worse than that, but they help each other out.
Typically one attendant will handle the boarding of passengers
for several cars in the middle of the night so a colleague can get
a bit more sleep. The upside is the time off, and every attendant
I've ever talked to lists this as a major benefit to the job. It varies
according to the schedule of the employee, but on average a train
attendant will get four days off for every three he or she works.
Lead Service Attendant
Amtrak dining cars used to be headed up by a steward, which
was someone in a neat blue uniform who greeted passengers and
ushered them to a seat at one of the tables. Stewards were also
responsible for taking payment, making change, and supervising
the serving part of the dining-car procedures. Because of cost cut-
ting, those days are gone; personally, I think that's a pity. Being
greeted by a polished maitre d' as you enter the dining car cer-
tainly added to the overall experience. Today, the steward's job
is performed by someone called the lead service attendant (LSA),
who also waits on tables.
The LSA is responsible for the quality of the service in the
dining car. He or she seats people, distributes the meal checks
on which an order is noted, records the complimentary meals
of sleeping-car passengers, and collects payment from the coach
passengers. He or she is also responsible for all of the cash col-
lected in the dining car. Over the duration of a two-day trip, that
amount can add up to many thousands of dollars. The accounts
had better balance at the end of the trip, too, because the LSA
could be required to make up any difference from his or her own
pocket.