Amtrak usually doesn't have too many spare trainsets, so they are usually forced to bus passengers on really late trains so they can turn a train set around mid-trip.

I worked a short time as an AC out of San Diego, and several times we turned trains back north at Oceanside to catch back up. We either moved passengers and baggage to buses or the train we caught up with. This was usually due to a fatal with a trespasser or a grade crossing accident, which stopped everything at the site for 2-3 hours minimum.

The worst train I ever was called for was a 575. Normally this was a fairly quiet train out of San Diego mid-morning, and after the layover in Los Angeles, we came back as 578 in mid afternoon. On this particular day, SP had derailed a freight north of Los Angeles, in front of both 774? out of Santa Barbara and 576 out of San Luis Obispo. Amtrak found enough Superliners and an engine to run a makeup 774 out of Los Angeles to San Diego on time. They "stole" our trainset and ran it as a 774 out of LA on time. The original 774 and 776 finally came into Los Angeles coupled together. They kicked everyone off one of the trainsets and took it to the yard, leaving us one set to run (late) as 578 with our normal passengers plus all the northern passengers from both 774 and 776. We only needed one more custom class (reserved) to seat everyone, but didn't get one, so we had standing passengers (both reserved and unreserved) all the way to San Juan Capistrano. They didn't call any extra help, so there was one AC, Conductor, LSA and attendent for about 500 pi$$ed off passengers. We had Amfleet/Horizon equipment, so at each stop I opened the middle of four coaches, the conductor opened a door between custom class and the cafe car. We normally didn't work baggage enroute, but the other trains did so the station agents had to work the baggage car themselves. All the trash cans and toilets were filling up. (I was getting the flu and by the end of the trip was also getting hoarse). We called San Diego and let them know what was coming in. To their credit, they jumped on the train before all the passengers were even off and had the trash off and toilets pumped, and that trainset left within half an hour back to San Luis Obispo.

Before we even left Los Angeles, the conductor told me to put my ticket punch away. Neither of us collected a single ticket that trip south, and Amtrak never said a word. Of course, most of 774 and 776's passenger had already had their tickets collected, but I am sure many of them asked for refunds and probably got vouchers.

Maybe I should list this under the "worst trip ever" instead?