Can anyone fill me in about this? I know the the Pennsy had two SD specially built for the grade and that it was 5.71% if I remember correctly. But where is it and is someone still using it?
…I don’t know how well the “search feature” is operating now under this new system but oh…about a year ago we had that subject going rather extensive on here and we brought out a lot of info regarding that “hill”…You might try to find some of that data via the “search”.
5.89%. I just looked it up. Madison is on the Ohio river (hence the grade) and is in the southeast portion of Indiana probably 3/4 of the way acrross to Ohio. Yes it is still operated sporadically and the short line owns both engines. Before the SD-7s the PRR used 2-8-0s that were required to back down the hill to keep water on the crown sheet.
This is the second time I have heard that the hill is operational. I do not believe it is. The tracks look pretty bad. I have visited it twice, and it truly is an impressive sight. It is amazing how quickly you are staring at rail level with your head. I (estimate) it is only about a little over a half mile long though.
There is a power plant at the bottom of the hill, but it is served via river.
I am more interested in what industries the line serves in Madison–I assume it serves industries in Madision, as the line looks to be in pretty good shape (for a shortline) until you get to the hill (probably more aptly described as a pit). But it is far from obvious what industry it serves.
There is a military base nearby, and I have a hunch that is what keeps it in business. Somebody could tell me about this . . . buy then they would have to kill me . . .
Gabe
…Trying to remember…I believe that stretch of railroad was a “cog” railroad at one time…
To the best of my knowledge,the “Hill” has not been used for quite a few years;any rail traffic
that comes into Madison,is to North Madison at the top of the hill.
The Military installation in that area is Jefferson Proving Ground and I believe it’s close
to being shut down.
" I (estimate) it is only about a little over a half mile long though."
As I recall it’s about 7000 ft long.
Yes there were 2 SD7s 6998 and 6999 (class ER15ax, with 65:12 gear ratios, six cylinder compressors, and rail washers with heaters). To my knowledge, the line has not been used in almost 30 years. The 1.3 mile hill still has the track in place. There was some talk of the City of Madison restoring the line for a tourist attraction, within the last few years, but quickly dropped those plans when they realized what it would cost. Side note. The steam engine that ran on that hill still survives. It’s at the Indianapolis Childrens Musium on display. It’s name escapes me now.
IIRC, It’s called the Reuben Wells. My kids are older now, so it’s been a few years since I visited the museum.
Thats it, the Reuben Wells. I was banging my head against the wall over that one. I was just about ready to look it up on the musium site. Thanks rrnut282!
It was an ugly little thing, too.
Yes it is. The sound effects were pretty lame too. My oldest daughter had nightmares about the engine. I still kid her about it.
Has anybody heard of the story about those 2 SD7s? From what I remember, when one or both of those engines were getting shopped, they sent a normal geared SD7 to operate the hill. I don’t think it went off the tracks but it was sure one hell of an adventure for the crew. Does anybody know of the story?
I don’t know the story, but I do know that at least one of the two SD7’s survive as a working unit. I believe the 6999 is now TRRA 1751. It was rebuilt by the Manufactures Railway in '99 with a chopped nose, delivered to the TRRA, sent back, they lowered the nose another 6 inches, then redelivered. The unit is not in everyday use, as it is a back up unit, it can be seen sitting in front of the engine house basically anyday, The last time it was used was in October of 2005, right around my Birthday, Saw it leading a transfur to the NS’s Luther Yard
I hope they changed the gearing.
What’s a rail washer? For traction, wouldn’t you want the rails to be sanded?
Reference: TRAINS, July 1962{ The Issue with the W&A “General” on the cover].
“America’s Steepest Railroad: Pennsy’s Madison Hill takes honors at 5.89 percent” Elmer G.Sulzer
7012 ft of track, climbs 412ft for a grade of 5.89%. The Madison & Indianapolis RR, 1st in Indiana, was plotted to go straight without tangents, the inclined plain was completed in 1841. was completed with State money by the State which transferred the line to the M&I organized Feb. 03,1843. First train to Indianapolis ran Oct. 1,1847. The State had laid rails rolled in Wales[England] 45# , in 15’9" and 18’ lengths between Madison and Griffith’s[ Queensland].The balance laid by the M&I to Indianapolis was strap rails.
Original transit uphill was with eight horses in four teams attached to one wagon. Down grade was by gravity drop, speed controlled by hand brakes, a practice that is reported to have continued until 1880. Apparently the one accident is reported to have been a runaway of several wagons of hogs destined for slaughter in a packing house in Madison, were drowned in the Ohio River, when the runaway failed to make the curve at the bottom of the grade and went into the river. Somewhat delaying their eventual arrival and processing at the packing house at Madison.
“The first successful steam engine on the encline was the MC Bright[0-8-0 type] built by Baldwin. 5 cylinders, 2 inclined 15.5"x20” to power eight 42" Driving wheels. 2 cylinders 17"x18" placed verticall over the boiler, midway between the firebox and the smokebox, the connecting rods worked by these cylinders joined with cranks on a shaft under the boiler, thgis shaft carried a single cog wheel which engaged another of about twice its diameter on a second
The Madison depot is still in use as the local historical society’s museum. Lot’s of RR stuff there. Madison is a neat town in its own right. There is a restored saddle tree factory in town also. The tracks are still there on the incline (awsome!) but are not connected at the top. After Conrail, those 2 SD7s were used as hump pushers at Allentown PA.
Rail washers were used to get leaves off of the track,wet leaves are slippery.
They had that story in the RR readind section of Trains a few years back. I said that the locos had been shopped at an ex-NYC shop and they removed any “foreign components”, or anything that the others didn’t have. So it came back to the hill with no d/b so it almost ran away.
I thought there was a story about it somewhere that I read once. You wouldn’t happen to know what trains edition that it was in would you?