When I'm working from home, I try to remember to go out on the front porch and wave at Amtrak #5, the westbound California Zephyr, which on the best of days passes at 7:38 AM but if running exactly on time it's more like 7:45. Last night, according to a message Lisa left me, it passed sometime after Midnight. Ouch. Roughly seventeen hours late. Amtrak's status system won't even tell me how late it was when it finally got to Emeryville, but it would not surprise me if this morning's westbound #6 out of Emeryville is late as well, as the inbound equipment on #5 turns to become the following morning's train.
This morning's #5 in Nevada is currently showing only ten minutes late.
Last July, I waved at the on-time #5 the morning we left for Westercon, not knowing that Kent Bloom and Mary Morman were on board and recognized me. Lisa and I then saddled up and headed for Sacramento a little while later, and because the train is limited to about 35 mph through the Sierras due to the twisty nature of the original "transcon" in that area we arrived at the hotel just before they did and were checking in as they showed up.
