November 1st 2012 was a day to rival the original start of our Downeaster on December 14, 2001. Invited guests and dignitaries had to choose between getting up way before sunup to take the southbound train to Boston to return on the Inaugural train or going down to Boston the night before and staying in a hotel. Yours truly opted for the Boston hotel. It was that or I’d have been a zombie on the Inaugural train.