Lead service attendant on the Auto Train, 2016.

Linda Judkins, lead service attendant (LSA) in the dining car, has gotten to know many regular Auto Train customers over her 30 years with Amtrak. The LSA is responsible for food and beverage service in the dining car, supervising dining car personnel and providing excellent customer service. He or she also has delegated responsibility for material usage and handles payments. "I love the passengers. I even get calls and text messages from some of them asking when my next shift is. It feels like a family here,” Judkins says.

The Auto Train offers direct service between Sanford, Fla., conveniently located close to the state's famous theme parks, and Lorton, Va., a suburb of the nation's capital. It is the only Amtrak service to simultaneously transport passengers and their motor vehicles, including cars, SUVs, trucks, motorcycles, small boats and water-skis. With locomotives and coach, sleeping, dining, lounge and auto carrier cars, the Auto Train is considered the longest passenger train in the world, often measuring about ¾ of a mile.

Photographer: Chuck Gomez for Amtrak. From the Amtrak Corporate Collection.