I recently traveled from Worcester, MA to Reno, NV to attend the annual convention of the Oregon California Trails Association, this year held at a hotel on Lake Tahoe named Harvey's. Mass. passengers have had to travel coach to Albany because the Boston Section has lately been a stub train between Boston and Albany. The "Boston Sleeper" is boarded at Albany as it comes up on the New York section with the New York sleepers. Normal service is supposed to resume in November. People who had originally booked the sleeper are put in a special business section in the cafe car and can get a free drink.
The train then left Albany about 1/2 hour late. New sleeper people can then get a meal in the diner, though later than I prefer to eat. The next day there is a 4+ hour layover in Chicago. Still I had concerns about making the connection, as the LSL has been having delays lately from track work, etc. I had monitored the connection online for 35 days previous and found that it wasn't made only one time. On my return trip I talked with a lady who had been on that train. Apparently the engine had just died somewhere east of Chicago and it took a long time to get a replacement.
Fortunately we arrived in Chicago only about an hour late. I had plenty of time to get some lunch at the Corner Bakery in the food court and eat it in the Metropolitan Lounge. Also bought newspapers to read on the train.The Zephyr left precisely on time .