My experience was back in 2005 and on the Northeast Corridor, but I can sum it up briefly:
- Read the rules carefully.
- Print out all the rules and carry them on your person.
- Understand that all it takes is one difficult conductor who doesn't care about the rules and you and your bike don't ride, regardless of the actual rules or how polite you may have been in explaining your side of the story, and you have no legal recourse. Now my situation didn't quite get to this stage, but it was clearly explained that if it did I would be completely SOL, and all depending on the knowledge and attitude of the train conductor.