I've used Amtrak to ship a complete bike, also, and I agree with Aldo. They were very helpful.
In my case, I called the 1 800 number to make sure I could get the bike from KC to a town near LA. They said they could ship it direct but when I took the boxed bike to my Amtrak station for shipment, the clerk there told me they could only ship it to the main station in LA and the people on the 1 800 line were wrong. After some thought, she said she would ship the bike as "extra baggage", a service they offer to ticket holders making the same trip, for $5. Five dollars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I sent my buyer the original claim ticket via Priority Mail (as well as the refunded difference in shipping cost) and faxed it to him also. He took the faxed copy to the depot and picked up the bike but had to creatively explain why he didn't have the original. If he had waited for the original claim ticket, he would have saved himself some grief.
Anyway, I think this shows that Amtrak is anxious for the business and (at least the clerk I dealt with) is concerned about customer service. I would use them again in a heartbeat.
Rick Chasteen, Kansas City