A Zephyr is just a breeze from the west or western wind."The California Zephyr" Was a now famous Western Pacific passenger tain with dome cars that traveled from Oakland Ca. to Chicago Il. through the scenic California Feather River Canyon before the Oroville dam was built.
There is even a replica if not a real passenger car on display at Disneyland in Anaheim Ca. with the Zephyr name plate.
To go even farther, my dad was a conducter on the Zephyr in the late 50's...I rode the Zephyr through the Feather River Canyon and the central valley from Keddie Ca. to Stockton Ca. in the late 50's
Do a Google Yahoo search on "California Zephyr"
I was just replying to someone who thought the name was blasphemy.
I rode it back when I was a little kid going to Chicago. Perhaps your father was the conductor! It was a great name for the train, as it swept across the desert like a wind.