Steepest Railroad Grade In North America! Non Cog Railway. Not Saluda Grade! Madison Railroad

Рет қаралды 33,641

Күн бұрын

The Madison Incline! This is the steepest standard gauge railroad in North America that is not a cog railway. Madison Railroad last operated this railroad incline on this industrial branch line railroad in 1992 with a GP10 that I show in the video. The grade is 5.89% and over 7,000 feet long from top to bottom. Opened in 1841. I filmed the entire Madison Incline and I filmed the very end of track next to the Ohio River. Filmed May 11, 2018. Make sure you see the part at 7:27. The sides at the cut are almost straight up and down and it is now too dangerous to maintain the track in the cut due to falling rocks. Hiking is allowed at your own risk. The town of Madison, Indiana owns the railroad line all the way to North Vernon, Indiana. This railroad grade is even steeper than Saluda Grade which is between 4 and 5%. Thanks for watching! Please comment, rate and SUBSCRIBE TO JAWTOOTH!!
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Пікірлер: 212

@tubehound8 6 жыл бұрын

You have to admire the workers who built that way back in the day. Thank you.

@daveyboy_ 4 жыл бұрын

Abandoned train tracks are some of the saddest things that i have ever seen

@JawTooth 4 жыл бұрын

There are so many in the area that I live in that I cant count them all. It is sad

@debralavorata546 3 жыл бұрын

What a pretty stretch of tracks,abandoned tracks always have a lonesome look,they look like they're just waiting for a train to love them!

@georgeschierling802 6 жыл бұрын

I like the way your written comments are so easy to read on the screen, they don't blend into the background images at all

@josephtatham800 6 жыл бұрын

Film makers eat your heart out, this is an amazing video. A trip back in time. Very scenic to view. Almost like watching a mystery film. Loved every moment of it. This video is a keeper. Keep up the good work. No, the trains don't run here anymore, but the memories remain.

@JawTooth 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much!

@prowlamongus 6 жыл бұрын

Great video. Always sad to see abandoned RR tracks, buildings, etc. Thanks for sharing all of this.

@dondoherty8883 6 жыл бұрын

WOW, unbelievable track work, greetings from Downunder, keep up the GREAT videos

@Rebel9668 6 жыл бұрын

Brian, Nice video. They've cleaned that line up a lot too. A few years ago it was so overgrown that it would have been difficult to walk through there at all. Come a few miles west and you'll get to Salem and the restored Monon depot and caboose. The depot has a lot of neat stuff in it and an HO scale layout in the basement of Washington County and the Monon line through it in the 50's.

@TheShadeTreeFixitMan 6 жыл бұрын

I dare say that the slope on my model railroad is steeper than that, LOL. Really cool footage, Brian.

@JawTooth 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you George!

@HighRail62 6 жыл бұрын

Very nice video,Jaw Tooth. Madison is a Great place to explore with lots of history,many of them,Rail Road related. At the top of that rocky cutout is the Madison Mental Hospital which I believe is still in operation. I have to admit,I didn't know that the secondary line in North Vernon was part of that incline. Learn something every day. Thanks for sharing!

@toddselph5992 2 жыл бұрын

What a cool place! Can you imagine filming one of those old emds working hard to get up that steep grade?

@DiamondMaster20 6 жыл бұрын

That's insane! Thanks for sharing!

@reekashade 6 жыл бұрын

A wonderful video my friend,spot on!

@elizabethcochran7842 6 жыл бұрын

Great video! Thanks for sharing!!!

@jess.hawkins 5 жыл бұрын

Great video! I knew of the operating problems the railroad had with the grade of the line, but I didn't know of the rockfall problems the line also had...

@lamarbrown7733 6 жыл бұрын

Cool cool scenery thinks for showing it to us

@TravelwithYvonne 6 жыл бұрын

really great & awesome Video !!! Happy Weekend :)

@GiovannaMancaSindia 6 жыл бұрын

Fantastico video complimenti Jaw ❤

@nicholaschard7143 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the great video hopefully this historical line will be preserved.

@JawTooth 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@nicholaschard7143 2 жыл бұрын

This is my favourite video that you have done,would love to see the Madison Incline and Saluda Grade. Thank you !

@shimuartcraft3033 6 жыл бұрын

Cool video friend.

@stevenboughner7255 11 ай бұрын

Great video Jawtooth just happened to see this. I would bet the Engineer's were very experienced and took a lot of maintenance to maintain.

@JawTooth 7 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching!

@dannyholt105 6 жыл бұрын

Wow that was cool! Time for a non-motorized cart. Start at the top, hop on and let her rip. Don't forget to add brakes though. As a joke on the next guy to go, dribble a bit of oil on the track about 3/4ths of the way down and wait for the... Ah, never mind. Bad idea. LOL! Excellent coverage and description of the incline. Thanks for the close up and detailed coverage! I don't blame Mrs. Tooth for staying back. Someone has to call EMS. Cheers, Dan

@JawTooth 6 жыл бұрын

Some of the sides were worse than straight up due to falling material in the past. EMS would have a tough time getting up there but that place was pretty awesome! Have a great weekend Danny!

@williamsantangelo 4 жыл бұрын

Wow Jaw Tooth that's some deep cut exploration is cool !!! Be Well my Friend!!!

@JawTooth 4 жыл бұрын

I would hate to be in that cut when rocks fall from the sides. That was a little bit of a concern. lol

@wojtopkp 6 жыл бұрын

Beautyfull scenery and extra video Like

@JawTooth 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@indtrains8839 6 жыл бұрын

very nice. thanks for sharing

@Peter-bg5gy 3 жыл бұрын

Good one JT!

@mikeday62 6 жыл бұрын

Very cool to see this Madison Incline RR!

@JawTooth 6 жыл бұрын

I wish I would have gone there before 1992 to see it running.

@twofoottaylor1 6 жыл бұрын

I'm not sure if this area is susceptible to any tremors of any sort but one little tremor and down comes all that rock ... thanks a million for doing this very interesting video and intriguing history of the line ... I would never have seen this if you hadn't taken the time to produce such a great video ... thanks Jaw Tooth ... much appreciated.

@JawTooth 6 жыл бұрын

It was a lot of walking but fun to do. I stopped at Star Bucks first and got a Frappamocha or whatever and took it with me on the hike. My wife wouldn't walk in the worst area where it was straight up. One of these days those sides are going to come down and bury the tracks. Thanks for watching!

@everettduncan7543 Жыл бұрын

There are three faults in the vicinity, the Mount Carmel Fault, the fault system that makes up the Cincinnati Arch, and the Rough Creek fault system. There are two stronger faults further away, the Wabash Valley and New Madrid faults, both of which are capable of producing earthquakes strong enough to bring down the cut. Underneath the sedimentary rock is a large region of rhyolite and granite called the Eastern Granite-Rhyolite province.

@twofoottaylor1 Жыл бұрын

@@everettduncan7543 @JawTooth Thanks very much for your reply, that is very interesting to read ... I just re-watched Jaw Tooth's video again, and I'm surprised they were able to put the railroad through there in the first place.

@everettduncan7543 Жыл бұрын

@@twofoottaylor1 i mean there's faults almost anywhere. I'm surprised about the steepness of the cuts, otherwise earthquakes wouldn't be a problem.

@train1962 6 жыл бұрын

Interesting video.I see Mrs.Jaw Tooth accompanied you.Thanks for posting.

@JawTooth 6 жыл бұрын

She liked the hike but she wouldn't go in the part where the sides were straight up and down. There are a lot of trees and boulders that are about ready to fall in the next storm. Thanks for watching Steve!

@huroneasternrailfan2112 6 жыл бұрын

I love your videos Jaw Tooth.

@JawTooth 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much!

@RandySchartiger 6 жыл бұрын

wow 416 feet drop in less than a mile and 1/4 is pretty steep! especially for a train! cool video mang!

@TmanTheTrainman 6 жыл бұрын

Awesome video!!

@whiteknightcat 6 жыл бұрын

Heritage Park, where the line ends, used to be an area of warehouses and piers where cargo was transloaded between river craft and rail cars. The siding at 12:11 still shows as an active siding on Google Earth. The long removed siding used to serve the huge Clifty Creek Power Plant slightly more than one mile west of the switch. The plant has the tallest chimneys in the world, with two topping out at 980 feet.

@JawTooth 6 жыл бұрын

I didn't know all that information. Thanks for watching and for the information!

@mvs 6 жыл бұрын

super awesome video bro big like 2

@MattyGamingYT 6 жыл бұрын

Very good work!

@jessiemorris8166 6 жыл бұрын

that was cool I need to check it out some time be interesting to see in person

@bekleidungu.ausrustung7068 4 жыл бұрын

I think they're cliff swallows, JT ! Real nice video. Why anyone would build a railroad up that hill is beyond me !!!

@JawTooth 4 жыл бұрын

Just think of how scary that would be to ride down the hill on that train!

@EntertainmentWorldz 6 жыл бұрын

nice video bro

@williamterrell6612 6 жыл бұрын

Kool video dude u give the Best Tran videos

@berkshiresubrailfan 6 жыл бұрын

Awesome video

@tm502010 6 жыл бұрын

I’ll bite: where/what’s the steepest Continuously Active Rail length in the country? It would be fun to know. Love your videos. American local railroading at its best!

@RailVentures 6 жыл бұрын

Cass Scenic Railroad in WV, is the steepest active line with grades up to 11 percent!

@BorisLu 6 жыл бұрын

Nice video!

@Starlight_66 6 жыл бұрын

Very interesting... thumb up!

@rjl110919581 6 жыл бұрын

THANK YOU FOR VIDEO

@miniaturefarmer464 Жыл бұрын

The Pennsy had two SD-7's set up specifically to run the incline. They were used up to the Conrail era.

@pcs2511 2 жыл бұрын

When the incline was first built they used draft animals to pull the loaded train car up to the top.Than the steam engine was invented the the boiler would move to remain level so wouldn't put out the fire in the firebox.That engine is in the children museum in Indianapolis along with a model of Madison Indiana and the train doing the incline. Thank you for the videos

@richardp950 5 жыл бұрын

nice-I watched all and i put a like on this too

@kevingreenlow1403 6 жыл бұрын

Great detective work, what a strange bit of railroad, can & will it ever be used again? great stuff Jaw Tooth.

@nojo1099 6 жыл бұрын

When I first learned about this today, I thought biking up or down might be fun. Then I started watching your video and it seems like a bad idea.

@LiamManley2003 6 жыл бұрын

Hey Brian, Someday i am going to check out the Cincinnati east terminal railroad

@MidwesternRailfan 6 жыл бұрын

Nice.

@markeholbrook 6 жыл бұрын

That was a nicely done video! I visited a early Georgia railroad park called Altoona pass. Its near Cartersville. It is a civil war battlefield. I think you would like it. Its in Red top mountain SP, off I75.

@usnusmcret 3 жыл бұрын

If I had known it was Madison, I would have thought you were filming a foreign country, so sad. Thank you for the tour

@JawTooth 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

@philfrancis6238 3 жыл бұрын

There was an article about this railroad in Trains Magazine in the 1960s. In steam season the engine was on the down hill end of the train and facing up grade to keep enough water in the boiler to cover the crown sheet.

@InBelarusian 6 жыл бұрын

Intresting!

@audioassault5599 6 жыл бұрын

Good video

@kingcarlosmusick1508 6 жыл бұрын

love old train tracks

@ElVeleroDePapel 6 жыл бұрын

Hola Jaw Tooth, tienes un excelente canal, estuve viendo algunos vídeos y sencillamente son excelentes, voy a estar visitándote siempre, un cordial saludo.

@edwardmounsey9208 3 жыл бұрын

Would make a great soap box derby track, put those guys in Akron out of business. Should be some way to use this facility? Great video JT, thanks for posting. Reminds me I’m in need of my monthly haircut.

@JawTooth 3 жыл бұрын

Monthly?! I usually only get 4 a year but last year I got 5. This was my first of the year

@indiantrainspotter910 6 жыл бұрын

NICE VIDEO

@Eric-zi1oz 6 жыл бұрын

That grade is insane.. I saw it in 1981 and it wasnt used much even then.

@BryantsRailfanProductions 6 жыл бұрын

awesome!

@Midway_CV-41 6 жыл бұрын

Heyyyyy!

@benoit0726 6 жыл бұрын

JT, Here's the site that but out that video that I was telling you about - "Delay In Block Productions". They have two good videos on the Madison Incline but I only saw the one. I'm about to watch the other.

@briang6040 6 жыл бұрын

Cool video. I bet they sprayed a lot of sand going up that incline.

@sundaybrotythepiratefox4828 6 жыл бұрын

nice catches

@dirkmontgomery5983 5 жыл бұрын

That was cool

@jimjohnson7964 6 жыл бұрын

I have had the opportunity to have worked for the state of Indiana with a crew that got to walk up and down that incline running weed eaters and chainsaws clearing out the right of way back in 1995. I also got to do some work on that same locomotive when it was being painted for the Madison Railroad.

@CNrailfan.4 6 жыл бұрын

Cool

@TheRezan777 6 жыл бұрын

Interesting video , thank you dear friend , greetings , Rezan

@usstiger_cd4165 3 жыл бұрын

Technically it is steeper, but while Madison is a straight shot Saluda Grade is technically the most well known and it is Mainline service with curves and the only thing that beats Saluda is Cass Scenic.

@sunshinestateaviation6750 6 жыл бұрын

Nice

@mononproductions6226 6 жыл бұрын

Did u go down to the Madison railroad station and museum because they have a lot of information about the incline

@louisaloi9178 6 жыл бұрын

Holy💩that's the steepest non cog railway I've ever seen.Didn't know of its existence,imagine being an engineer going down this thing with heavy train.😬Then to make it even more nervewracking a sharp curve @ the bottom of hill.OMG😱Nice find,and thanks for hiking up that thing😰for a look👀see.Definitely the last place I'd want to be in an earthquake.😲The DeLand station shown @ end is not far from friends house there whom ironically his Dad retired from the railroad up here in Cleveland,Ohio area.👴

@JawTooth 6 жыл бұрын

That's cool that you recognized the DeLand Florida station in the outro! I was there again about a month ago with Millenniumforce filming the Auto Train and my camera messed up on me. We drove all the way there just for the Auto Train and I felt so sick to my stomach when the camera messed up that I didn't even tell Alan. Lol. Thanks for watching!

@raymondwedley 3 жыл бұрын

Like your Videos

@JawTooth 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@RailVentures 6 жыл бұрын

Hello Brian, I like your video on this very interesting piece of dis-used track better than any of the others here on KZfaq! I see you were just there a couple of weeks ago as well. I have researched this line for a while and had a few questions for you. I decided to email you at the email you provided on your "about" page. Please get back with me at your convenience. Thanks, Hank

@philliplee980 6 жыл бұрын

very cool

@JawTooth 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks Phillip!

@curtnicholson7771 4 жыл бұрын

Man I multiplied it out that’s over 412.3’ of rise in 7,000’. Do you know what the line actually served or where it ran from and to. Also Jaws as I have told you before that you are a lucky man to have your Best Girl want to spend time with you on all of your adventures. Always nice to see the Mrs. Jaw Tooth. Also how did you come up with the video of the last train running the line? Was there a site you went to? A really nice video Jaws!!!!👍👍👍👍👍👍

@AlohaMilton 5 жыл бұрын

that grade is nuts, makes the helix on my N scale look tame and modest... how many sets slide out of control down that thing I wonder?

@user-jp2sl1he1q 6 жыл бұрын

Nice vifeo!

@danmathers141 3 жыл бұрын

Is there a way to safe the sides of that cut? I assume it's just to expensive for the return it might give.

@reallovechannel1309 3 жыл бұрын

I live here in Madison. The track continues all the way down the side of the Ohio river. They paved over it and also covered it in dirt and grass. You can find it in places all the way down.

@JawTooth 3 жыл бұрын

I walked all the way down there and saw that. It is wavey looking also from flooding I think

@billmorris2613 3 жыл бұрын

Good afternoon from St John Parish, Louisiana 2 Sep 20.

@This_Planet 10 ай бұрын

There are many countries that would be happy to have all that railroad

@JawTooth 10 ай бұрын

It would be cool to see it run again

@ashevilletrainman6989 6 жыл бұрын

I just saw a video on this !

@mikelwylie1649 4 жыл бұрын

Motorized vehicle or locomotives would probably cause a huge landslide. It sucks but thats mother nature they would probably have to remove alot of dirt and rock to make it safe again but i love old railroad history

@dr.toxicgamingmadscientist 3 жыл бұрын

i can see why they closed the tracks down, firstly erosion, secondly the hill wasn't flat to begin with and erosion would throw the rails out of whack, thirdly, rocks constantly falling upon said rails causing them to bend out of shape.

@johnsmart964 4 жыл бұрын

That is some incline, very impressive but you can see why it was taken out of use.

@kevinrichards3288 3 жыл бұрын

1:30 Wow I didn't know they built those style locomotives back then.

@HamiltonOhioTrains84 6 жыл бұрын

So, is there a place along this line that connects with a mainline? If not, how did they remove the locomotive and cars that were used here?

@SimRacin14 6 жыл бұрын

The incline is at the end of the CMPA's railroad. The Madison RR runs up to North Vernon where it interchanges with CSX. It is still technically connected to the rest of the U.S. rail network.

@RailVentures 6 жыл бұрын

Brian, I really hate to disagree, but the Cass Scenic Railroad in West Virginia is non-cog and has grades up to 11 percent, almost twice as steep as Madison. I believe you know this, as I see you have 5 or 6 videos at Cass. Are you not counting it, because it was a logging railroad? Off course it's a logging railroad, but it's still active as a tourist operation, and you can ride it! I highly recommend it to anyone reading this! Sometimes you can even talk the engineer into a cab ride!!!

@MrPeerum 6 жыл бұрын

Wel they can spray concrete on the rocks,also in the Alps.no prob at all Brian. hai Jackie.

@JawTooth 6 жыл бұрын

That's a good idea. I have seen that done inside of tunnels. Hello Tony and Peerke!

@jonathanburrowaz 3 жыл бұрын

When u pointed camera down the line I thought the light was that of a locomotive until I continued watching the video

@JawTooth 2 жыл бұрын

Lolz

@NS9213 4 жыл бұрын

When the PRR owned this piece of railroad didn't they use a pair of specially ballasted SD7's for the Madison Grade?

@garysprandel1817 4 жыл бұрын

Ballested,special gearing for pulling rather than speed and special baffles in the prime mover to keep the lube oil from pooling at the downhill end of the oil pan

@precision430 4 жыл бұрын

I cant imagine anything other than a Shay making that pull.. especially with any kind of a load.

@mononproductions6226 6 жыл бұрын

I live right across the river from where you are in trimble County

@csrrjefflloyd6496 3 жыл бұрын

While it would be very expensive and very labor intensive, landslide barriers could be installed. They are used on a lot of well traveled roads.

@MrPeerum 6 жыл бұрын

almost one rollercoaster track.lol.

@benoit0726 6 жыл бұрын

The Madison Railroad Historical Society(?) put out a short documentary on TouTube about the Madison Incline, the how, and why of its existence, the periods of use, and the reasons of iits disuse and the last vehicle to climb the Madison Incline. Your were actually close when you mentioned tire marks.

@JawTooth 6 жыл бұрын

Wow, I'm going to look for that. That is one of the most interesting stretches of railroad that I have ever seen. I tried to figure out angles for the camera to show how steep it is. Thanks for watching!

@benoit0726 6 жыл бұрын

Not sure if the documentary addressed that. But because of the crumbling walls of the cuts hikers are discouraged from hiking the Incline. Hear that JT? LOL

@csrrjefflloyd6496 3 жыл бұрын

I have a track running into my city that has that classification. It used to be a branch line for AT&SF. They stopped using it when that RR was taken oven by BNSF. Now. SCRRA/Metrolink owns it but its officially out of service. Metrolink has been using parts from it like rails and signals. It'll have to be rebuilt from scratch if and when it's to be used again. It's roughly 30 miles long.

@kennyspry5189 6 жыл бұрын

I just Love watching your Video's you are So Funny. You make them very interesting to watch. I would Like to say that you have a Beautiful Wife you are a very Lucky man. Keep UP the Awesome Videos Take Care.