The grade from Madison to the summit at North Madison was decided to be in the form of an incline plane with a rise of 311 feet per mile, or 1 in 17. This was equivalent to an average grade of 5.89%. The incline plane was 7,012 feet long.

For construction purposes the first 22-mile section was divided into the first and the second divisions. The two divisions were estimated to cost $609,633, with a cost per mile of $27,710. Of this amount the estimated cost of the incline plane was $178,827, or 29% of the total.

The right of way for the graded track was 25 feet wide. The track gauge, or distance between the rails, was the standard gauge of 4 feet 8½ inches. The original plan of the track was for longitudinal bearing pieces to be imbedded in the ground under each rail. Crossties then were to be placed at right angles upon the longitudinal pieces at intervals of four feet, center to center. The size of the crossties was to be not less than 6 by 8 inches. In the crossties “gains” were to be cut out to accommodate the wood rails. Wood rails were to be laid in these “gains” and secured by wedges. Then strap rails consisting of iron bars would be laid on top of the wood rails and secured by spikes of sufficient size. The joints of the bars would be supported by bearing plates. In curves and anywhere else it was deemed necessary, the crossties were to be secured by oaken pins.

However, by the time construction began, the track design was simplified and greatly improved by using iron rails spiked to the crossties instead of the strap rails with iron bars. The Madison railroad was one of the first in the U.S. to lay iron rail instead of the dangerous and weaker strap rail. On the portion built by the state, which was from Madison 28 miles northwest to Griffith’s (later called Queensville), the iron rails were of a type known as “T” rails rolled in England in 1836. The rails were 3½ inches high, weighed 45 pounds to the yard, and were generally 18 feet long. The “T” rail was originally called the “H” rail. Its shape was whittled in wood by Robert L. Stevens for the Camden and Amboy Railroad while he was traveling by ship to England in 1830.

Construction of the line began September 16, 1836. One crew started grading the line north from North Madison toward Columbus. Other crews started work on the incline plane and its massive rock cuts. Construction of the incline plane was contracted in three parts: upper, middle, and lower. The upper part from North Madison to the summit of the grade and from there about a third of the way down was built by the firm of James Giddings. The middle part, about a third of the incline, included a 100 foot deep cut through solid rock and was built by the firm of Joseph Hendricks. The lower third of the incline plane and the line from the bottom of the hill to the depot at Madison was built by the firm of Flint and Strough. The entire construction project was supervised by Colonel Thomas A. Morris, chief engineer of the railroad.

During the summer of 1838, grading contracts were extended to Six Mile Creek, five miles north of Vernon. The entire distance graded or under contract was then over 26 miles. By the middle of November 1838, seventeen miles of track had been laid from North Madison to Graham’s Fork southeast of Vernon. The average cost of track laid, up to December 1838, was $10,300 per mile. The railroad had no locomotives and used horses to pull cars of construction materials.

Meanwhile, the directors had ordered a new steam locomotive from Baldwin, Vail and Hufty of Philadelphia, to be shipped by sea and then up the Mississippi River. The new locomotive would arrive in time to celebrate the beginning of operations by pulling a special train from North Madison to the “End of Tracks” and back. Unfortunately, the new locomotive never reached Madison. During a storm at sea, the locomotive was pushed overboard to prevent the ship from sinking.

In November 1838 four other railroads were operating west of the Appalachian Mountains. The 5-mile Pontchartrain Railroad between New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain was the first to be completed west of the Appalachian Mountains, beginning operation with horses April 23, 1831, and with steam locomotives September 17, 1832. But it was too far away from Madison. A second railroad was closer. The Lexington & Ohio began horse-drawn operations August 15, 1832, and opened 28 miles from Lexington to Frankfort, Kentucky, in 1834. A third railroad, the Erie and Kalamazoo, began horse-drawn operations from Toledo to Adrian, Michigan, November 2, 1836, and steam operation with the locomotive Adrian in 1837. The fourth railroad, the Mad River and Lake Erie, began operation with the locomotive Sandusky between Sandusky and Bellevue, Ohio, May 11, 1838. However, its gauge was 1½ inches too wide.

The Madison railroad’s directors were frantic but had few practical solutions. They decided to borrow the four-wheeled Elkhorn from the L&O to pull their first train. The Elkhorn was a Planet-class locomotive built in 1836 by Robert Stephenson in England and was a popular design in that country. It had a three-foot diameter front axle that was not powered and a five-foot diameter rear axle that was powered by two cylinders mounted between the front wheels. It probably weighed about eight tons.

The Elkhorn was promptly shipped by barge on the Ohio River to Madison. From Madison it was laboriously hauled with block and tackle and teams of oxen up the steep, unpaved Michigan Road to the top of the bluffs, since the track on the incline plane had not been completed.

A fire was started in the Elkhorn on November 27, 1838. Two days later the first train steamed out of North Madison with a load of notables, including Governor David Wallace. Before departure, everyone had dined well at a banquet given to celebrate the line’s opening. The dignitaries were taken all the way to the crossing of Graham’s Fork of the Muscatatuck River and back, a round trip of about 34 miles. On the first run the train attained the spectacular speed of eight miles per hour. At the end of the trip it was predicted by one optimistic gentleman that it would someday be possible to eat breakfast in Madison, travel to Indianapolis on the railroad, and eat supper there.

Management planned that passenger trains eventually would take 11 hours for the 175 mile round trip from Madison to Indianapolis. Colonel Thomas A. Morris, chief engineer, recommended limiting the speed of freight trains to eight miles per hour. He also urged that, when they had completed the railroad, the trains going each way all should meet in Columbus at noon. He planned to have four 1,000 foot long tracks there, two for freight trains and two for passenger trains.

The rigid design of the Elkhorn was successful on track built to English standards, but not on the rougher track of the Madison railroad. Management therefore decided to replace the Elkhorn and ordered two locomotives with 4-2-0 wheel arrangement from the Baldwin, Vail, and Hufty Locomotive Works of Philadelphia. They were called the Madison and the Indianapolis. The Madison started running March 16, 1839, and was placed in regular service starting April 1, 1839. The Indianapolis arrived in 1841. The Madison in its first 244 days in service made 255 trips for a total mileage of about 10,000 miles and reportedly required less than $2.00 worth of repairs, plus a new pair of tender wheels because the old ones were worn out by the hand brakes. An engine house for two locomotives was constructed in 1839 at the head of the plane in North Madison.

The line from Graham’s Fork to Vernon was opened June 6, 1839. An hour and a half was required for the 20-mile trip from North Madison to Vernon. On some days two trips were required by the volume of traffic.

The track from Vernon to Griffith’s (Queensville) was opened June 1, 1841. Meanwhile, work was progressing on the incline plane. Seventy men were constantly on the job digging the 100 foot cut. Work was frequently interrupted by rock slides, and the hard rock made progress slow. However, the incline plane opened for business in 1841 after the famous cut and other earthworks were completed. As Jacob Dunn aptly said:

...the greatest difficulty was in getting the railroad out of Madison and into Indiana. This was finally accomplished in 1841.

When the incline plane was opened, horsepower was used to pull railroad cars from the Madison depot up to the head of the plane. Since it was then customary for the steam locomotive to be left outside of town and trains to be hauled into the city by horses, it was fortunate the city of Madison was so near the plane.

Due to its extensive internal improvements program, Indiana was on the verge of financial ruin before the Panic of 1837. The $10 million fund authorized in 1836 for canal and railroad construction was all spent by 1839. However, the annual interest on the state’s improvement bonds of $193,350 greatly exceeded the state’s revenue from the projects. The effects of the Panic naturally made the situation worse, and the state then got rid of several of its public projects (including eventually the Madison railroad) by letting private companies operate them.

To try to minimize cost and also expedite construction, the state had leased the operation of the railroad to private contractors, first to Branhams & Company from April 1, 1839, to June 1, 1840, and then to their successors, Sering and Burt, from June 1, 1840, to June 1, 1841. The arrangements were unsatisfactory, so the state was forced to resume operation of the MI&L. From June 1, 1841, to February 18, 1843, the line was operated by an agent of the state, William McClure.

Since the public was paying for the Madison railroad, it naturally wanted the railroad finished as soon as possible at minimum cost. Public concern over the railroad’s cost led to a state investigation in 1841 that discovered $2,000,000 had been embezzled by M&IL employees and state officials.

Expenditures on the line from 1836 to 1842 totaled $1,624,291.93, against only $62,493.21 received in tolls. The difference was made up by an appropriation from the state treasury. The state had paid to complete the railroad to Griffith’s, 28 miles north of Madison, and to complete about half of the grading and bridge construction for the next 28 miles north of Griffith’s through Columbus to near Edinburg. The state also paid for the Madison depot, the shops at North Madison, two new locomotives, and the cars necessary for operation of the line then completed.

According to President Merrill’s 1844 report to stockholders:

… without doubt there was a large waste of the public’s money, especially on the incline plane and the bridges south of Vernon, but the finished part was generally well done, and the best quality of the T rail procured for it.

Among the railroad conventions held in towns along the line was one in Columbus in March 1842, with James Blake acting as chairman and various citizens of the county in attendance. The convention decided that Bartholomew County (Columbus was its county seat) would contribute $9,000 to be spent for railroad construction. Other counties followed the same pattern.

The idea of a privately-owned railroad was gaining support, so the Indiana Legislature on January 28 and 31, 1843, provided for continued construction of the MI&L by a private company instead of the state. Accordingly, the railroad was transferred to a private corporation, the Madison and Indianapolis Railroad Company. The M&I was permitted to sell stock for land instead of money. Land in the amount of 26,795 acres was subscribed to, and $96,200 in scrip was issued. Formal transfer was effective on February 18, 1843, by order of the Governor. Under terms of the transfer, the M&I was required to construct the tracks to Edinburg before July 1, 1846, and to Indianapolis within two years thereafter.

The first officers of the M&I were Nathan B. Palmer, president; Benjamin Irwin, treasurer; and George E. Tangle, secretary. Palmer served to June of 1844, when he was succeeded by Samuel Merrill, who served until August 1848. Merrill was succeeded by John Brough (pronounced Bruff), who was president until February 1853.

After February 18, 1843, the state retained a stock interest in the M&I. However, the M&I was unable to raise the cash to buy out the state’s interest. On February 28, 1856, the state finally sold its ownership interest for $65,832. The interim period was chaotic for both the state and M&I management.

For the first three years, construction was partly financed by the sale of common stock. In l845 and 1846 loans totaling $150,000 were made in New York to the M&I. Later, these loans were converted into stock, which was a favorite way to pay off debts. Also, the M&I was able to interest thousands of farmers along the right of way to take stock in the company, paying for it in labor and land. The farmers, assisted by Irish immigrants, had the difficult task of clearing large forest trees and vegetation from the right of way. The grading was done with pick, shovel, scraper, and wheelbarrow.

By June 1, 1843, the line had been opened to Scipio, 30 miles from Madison and 15 miles short of Columbus. Thereafter, progress under M&I presidents Palmer and Merrill was swifter and more economical than before. Tracks were extended seven miles to Elizabethtown on September 11, 1843, and four miles farther to Clifty on February 1, 1844. On July 3, 1844, the tracks reached Columbus. On September 8, 1845, they reached Edinburg. The M&I now had an operating railroad 56 miles from Madison to Edinburg. On July 4, 1845, the M&I ran a special train and had a free barbecue at Edinburg for anyone who “never rode after the Iron Horses.” Maximum speed over the line was increased to 15 miles per hour.

Two Baldwin-built locomotives with 4-2-0 wheel arrangement, the Madison and the Indianapolis, were in daily operation between Madison and Edinburg. A third locomotive, the Baldwin-built 4-4-0 Columbus, had undergone repairs in the North Madison shops and was also ready to run at the end of 1844. A fourth engine, the Rogers-built 4-4-0 Vernon, was to be shipped from New York in November 1845. The locomotives weighed about 15 tons, compared to a weight of 180 tons for the first diesel electric locomotive to operate on the Madison Hill in 1954. Most freight cars had four wheels, and weighed about three tons when empty, compared to today’s empty freight car weight of 25 to 35 tons. Freight trains averaged about 15 cars, compared to today’s trains of 60 to 150 cars.

The M&I tracks reached Franklin September 1, 1846, and Indianapolis October 1, 1847. The M&I built its Indianapolis passenger depot on South Street between Pennsylvania and Delaware. On October 1 the first M&I train ran from Madison to Indianapolis. The Indiana State Journal described the train’s arrival thus:

At about three o’clock in the afternoon the belching forth of the loud-mouthed cannon announced the time for the approach of the cars from Madison. Such a collection of people as thronged the grounds adjacent to the depot has not been witnessed in these parts since Tippecanoe times. They were there by acres, stretching far out along the railroad, some upon trees, stumps, fence mounds, and everything which tended to raise one squad above another. Soon a dark spot in the distance was espied by those picketed upon the fartherest outposts; then was heard the shrill whistle of the locomotive echoing through hoary forests and o’er verdant fields, and shout answering to shout as the two iron steeds, puffing and snorting majestically, turned the curve in the road a short distance from town, followed by two long trains of passenger and freight cars, completely filled with human beings, the ladies waving their white handkerchiefs, and the men and boys using their lungs in answering back the long, loud huzzas from the people awaiting their approach. There was speech making – the governor and others addressing the crowd. There was a pleasure ride to Greenwood for 15 cents for the round trip being charged. During the evening there were fireworks, illuminations, and performances by the circus troupe.

October 1, 1847, was a memorable day for Indiana as well as for the builders of the Madison railroad.

The cost of 56 miles built by the M&I was $628,993, compared to over $1.5 million spent by the state to build 28 miles. The state’s cost per mile, which included the incline plane, was five times that of the M&I.

Photo looking north up the 5.89% grade toward North Madison was taken by Madison photographer W. G. Heberhart sometime in the 19th century after arrival of the telegraph. The railroad’s shops are in the round building at the top of the hill to the right.

This 1953 photo shows the track at bottom of the grade passing under the Main Street Bridge at MP 44.14 from Columbus.

This 1953 photo shows the 4 degree 30 minute curve at bottom of the Madison Hill, with tracks leading left to the Madison depot on the Ohio River. Tree in background is believed to be the one Conductor Conner hit when he was thrown from the train during the 1943 wreck.