Author: Gary T. Fry

Figure 1. Correlation does not imply causation. Sales of fingerless gloves and cases of frostbitten fingers both increase in winter months. But fingerless gloves are not a cause of frostbite. (Courtesy of Gary T. Fry.)
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Timeout for Tech: Correlation vs. Causation

RAILWAY AGE JANUARY 2023 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 focus on the issue of correlation vs. causation and how to avoid a common pitfall—mistaking effects as causes.

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.