Coach Class -
All Long Distance Trains are either Amfleet II or Superliner Coaches which both have -
2 x 2 seating, lots of leg room, leg rest, foot rest, tray table, curtains on the window, and good seat pitch when fully reclined.
NE Corridor Trains -
North East Corridor "Regional", Downeaster, Carolinian, Pennsylvanian, Palmetto, Keystone, Empire, etc.
Amfleet I Coaches with the small windows, no curtains on the windows, very little leg room and seat pitch (compared to Amfleet II). No leg rest. No foot rest. (I don't think???). The seats, other than pitch, resemble the Long Distance seats, quite comfortable.
*note - a few Amfleet II's are used on the longer trains such as Penn, and Carolinian.
Chicago Corridor Trains -
(Chicago to St. Louis, St. Louis to Kansas City, Michigan, Hiawatha, etc.)
Same as NE Corridor, but also will see alot of Horizon Cars. About the same as the Amfleet I comfort wise, no automatic doors for the high platforms, windows slightly larger. Cosmetically the cars are flat boxed and not round like the Amfleet.
Cascades Corridor Trains -
(Portland - Seattle - Vancouver)
State owned Talgo equipment. Talgo trains are European, articulated sets. Much smaller cars than most American built. They tilt, so they can go faster through curves (you can watch the speed signs to see how much faster... sometimes Passenger are listed at say 65 but Talgo can do 79). The cars ride very nice, and are quite comfy. Business Class has 2x1 seating. All cars have video monitors, automatic sliding glass doors in between cars. Automatic platform doors (the cars are very low). Digital Car Number signs.
Pacific Surfliner -
(Los Angeles - San Diego, etc. )
State owned Surfliner Cars. Double decker, similar to superliners but with a "straight" staircase instead of the spiral. Commuter style seating, no curtains, minimal recline, foot rest. Two automatic doors on lower level.
San Joquin
(Sacramento - Bakersfield - Bay Area, etc.)
State owned Californian cars, very similar to Surfliner cars.
Also some new single level train sets with rebuilt NJ Transit cars, the cars resemble the Amtrak Horizon Coaches.
Piedmont
(Charlotte - Raleigh NC)
State owned single level cars, these are "heritage cars" from the UP and KCS (maybe others too). They are, in my opinion, the most comfortable coaches in the Amtrak system. Even more comfortable than Amfleet II. Decent leg room, foot rest, decent pitch (The leg room and pith are probably not as sizable as Amfleet II but the seat is just more comfy.) Also large windows, and each coach has a couple table booths on the end, so if you want to play a game, work on a laptop, or eat a snack, you can.
Hoosier State
(Chicago to Indianapolis IN)
Iowa Pacific single level coaches. "Heritage Coaches" similar to the Piedmont train. Business Class offers seating in a dome car.
I hope that even begins to make sense... probably a few mistakes in there too.
