Welcome

Anthony Puzzilla is a retired Federal Government employee after 43 years of service. He is now a full-time writer, as well as a rail fan and model train lover. He is a member of the Jersey Central Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Historical Society, and the Reading Company Technical and Historical Society.  Mr. Puzzilla has already published two “Images of Rail” books for Arcadia Publishing. The first, entitled The Western Maryland Railroad, was published in 2015 and the second, entitled New Jersey Central’s Blue Comet, was published in 2017.

Images of Rail

Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal

By Anthony G. Puzzilla

For almost 80 years, the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CRRNJ) Terminal was the main passenger terminal for the CRRNJ, and its tenant Class I railroad tenants, which served the New York City Metropolitan area. The terminal became the gateway to America for many of the new citizens who passed through the Ellis Island Immigration Station between 1892 and 1954. Finally, it was the home of a number of named passenger trains operated by the Class I railroads residing at the CRRNJ Terminal.
 
In this book, set for release in 2024, author Anthony Puzzilla tells the story of this historic and famed railroad terminal in words and contemporary photographs.

Sneak Preview

An aerial view of the approach to the 1889-built Central Railroad of New Jersey (CRRNJ) Terminal in Jersey City, New Jersey.
A surreal photograph of the CRRNJ Terminal taken by Steven Dingman.
The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad's Royal Blue train.
The interior of the CRRNJ Terminal shows the information desk and waiting room.
The CRRNJ Blue Comet train leaves the terminal in Jersey City making its inaugural run on February 21, 1929.
Red iron trusses support the ceiling of the waiting room in a starburst design.
The Reading Company 4-6-2 streamlined steam locomotive Crusader train at Jersey City on September 13, 1939.
The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad streamliner Columbian train near Harper's Ferry, West Virginia in March 1949.

Hope Triumphs Over Chaos

The La Plata Tornado of April 28, 2002

By Anthony G. Puzzilla

The devastating F4 La Plata, Maryland tornado of April 28, 2002, was a significant event for several reasons. First, tornadoes along the Atlantic coast are not common. It tracked across the Chesapeake Bay almost to the Atlantic Ocean. Next, a tornado of this magnitude is extremely rare in the Northeast region. It is only the third to have occurred in the state of Maryland. La Plata has had two, in 1926 and 2002, and one occurred in Frostburg, Maryland in 1998. Also, The La Plata Tornado of April 28th was the strongest ever to strike Maryland, and the second strongest to ever hit the Northeast region.

Other Books

Anthony G. Puzzilla

© Anthony G. Puzzilla, 2020