by 2nd trick op
John Kneiling was an industrial engineer who came to the attention of both the industry and rail hobbyists around 1965 when the late Trains editor David P. Morgan published a series of articles advocating radical changes in industry operating practices, centered around what he defined as the "integral" or "true" train, dedicated to a single traffic move and shunning pickup and delivery, separable cars, and a lot of the things that most made the industry a fascinating subject for railfans.
Kneiling's proposals immediately drew a lot of criticism, particularly from the operating brotherhoods, and an outspoken and unreconstructed social conservatism didn't make him any friends. But Morgan set him up with a monthly column entitled "The Professional Iconoclast", and he continued to predict and promote many of the reforms (some clearly outawed by the regulatory climate of the time) which were eventually to come about in a slightly-moderated form, and play a central role in the industry's resurgence post-1985. His book, Integral Train Systems, can be found in many university engineering libraries.
Kneiling's last Trains byline appears in a retrospective for that publication's 50th anniversary issue in 1990, and a fast search via Google turned up no obituary, so though he would likely be well past the age of 80, I can't confirm whether he's still with us or not.
Kneiling's proposals immediately drew a lot of criticism, particularly from the operating brotherhoods, and an outspoken and unreconstructed social conservatism didn't make him any friends. But Morgan set him up with a monthly column entitled "The Professional Iconoclast", and he continued to predict and promote many of the reforms (some clearly outawed by the regulatory climate of the time) which were eventually to come about in a slightly-moderated form, and play a central role in the industry's resurgence post-1985. His book, Integral Train Systems, can be found in many university engineering libraries.
Kneiling's last Trains byline appears in a retrospective for that publication's 50th anniversary issue in 1990, and a fast search via Google turned up no obituary, so though he would likely be well past the age of 80, I can't confirm whether he's still with us or not.
What a revoltin' development this is! (William Bendix)