Author: Gary T. Fry

FIGURE 1. Track of the Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway. Reaching 14,115 feet at the summit of Pikes Peak, it is the highest railway in North America and the highest cog railway in the world. (Courtesy of Gary T. Fry.)
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Guideway, Bearing, and Beam: The Essential Roles of Rail

TIMEOUT FOR TECH, RAILWAY AGE NOVEMBER 2022 ISSUE: The mass movement of goods and people by rail is the second-most energy efficient mode of transportation—second only to watercraft in navigable waterways. A main contributing factor to the efficiency of rail transportation is the extremely low rolling resistance created by hard steel wheels rolling on hard steel rails. Another factor is the favorable aerodynamic slipstream created by trains at speed.

Managing Failure Risk

RAILWAY AGE, JUNE 2022 ISSUE: Welcome to “Timeout for Tech with Gary T. Fry, Ph.D., P.E.” Before we begin, I want to highlight an upcoming RT&S virtual technical conference that will convene on July

Understanding Failure Risk

RAILWAY AGE, MAY 2022 ISSUE: Welcome to “Timeout for Tech with Gary T. Fry, Ph.D., P.E.” Each month, we examine a technology topic that professionals in the railway industry have asked to learn more about. This month, we discuss risk of failure and methods we can use to quantify this risk.

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Wheel and Rail Fatigue Prevention Strategies

RAILWAY AGE, APRIL 2022 ISSUE: Welcome to “Timeout for Tech with Gary T. Fry, Ph.D., P.E.” Each month, we examine a technology topic that professionals in the railway industry have asked to learn more about. This month, we discuss strategies to prevent fatigue failures of steel railway wheels and rails.

Figure 4A: Ultrasonic testing equipment customized for rail inspection. Courtesy of Herzog.
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Ultrasonic Testing of Steel

RAILWAY AGE MARCH 2022 ISSUE: Welcome to “Timeout for Tech with Gary T. Fry, Ph.D., P.E.” Each month, we examine a technology topic that professionals in the railway industry have asked to learn more about. This month, our topic is fatigue defect detection in steel.

Metal Fracture: The Fatigue Cycle That Really Counts

RAILWAY AGE FEBRUARY 2022 ISSUE: Welcome to “Timeout for Tech with Gary T. Fry, Ph.D., P.E.” Each month, we examine a technology topic that professionals in the railway industry have asked to learn more about. This month our topic is fracture of steel.