The train was pushed back to LA station where we waited onboard. They cut the power and air for much of that time, and the dining car and cafe were down due to no electricity. My sister and I were suffering headaches and nausea, and the children were coughing. My young son was worst affected from the smoke, and suffered severe coughing fits. No AMTRAK staff offered help or direction when I said it was because of the smoke. I asked staff if we could get off the train to try and get something for the cough, but they said that if we were not on the train when the train was fixed that we would be left behind and would have to buy another ticket. We couldn't financially risk that, so I asked for a time frame for when we would be getting underway again, and they couldn't give me one. My sister took a risk and left the train carriage to see if something could be found in the station, but there wasn't anything. As it turned out, we had plenty of time for her to get back. I kept the kids busy and did the best I could to make everything seem normal for them.
After about 4 hours, the engine was finally replaced and we got underway again. I found it odd that at that point (instead of 3-4 hours previously), a crew member came quickly walking through and dropped a bottle of water and a pouch of crackers & nuts in each seated person's lap. She then lugged a couple of cases of water upstairs and put them down in a seat before continuing to distribute them and then she condescendingly warned the passengers not to steal any. No attempt again to assess anybody's condition or see how we were.
