The northern section while small is never the less an important part of the Indiana Rail Road. Perhaps unremarkable in character it looks like any central or northern Indiana rail line with few curves, no high trestles, and no large bridges that are prominent in other sections of the line. Quaint Midwestern towns dot this section of the line, some small and only a small dot on the map, others where the railroad runs thru the center of town looking for all the world as if the railroad is main street. In addition at its northern end is the large Metropolitan city of Indianapolis, home to Senate Avenue Terminal and the corporate offices in a down town high rise. Due to the roller coaster profile of the west end because of its poor grading this is possibly the flattest and straightest portion of the line, and with its recently upgraded 40mph running in places trains move quickly often covering the distance from Morgantown to just south of Indianapolis in less then thirty minutes.
Beginning at Senate Avenue Terminal, you will find a cramped yard amidst the industrial south side. This is home to a small mechanical shop, the burgeoning Indiana Reload Center, and the yard tracks where trains are broken up and made. Just to the south of the yard, where West street crosses the line you will find the steep connection to the maze of trackage that is the CSX Indianapolis Terminal, which includes the Indianapolis Union Belt. This connection is a serious operating challenge with its 3% grade and S curve. Heavy trains will often have to back up and run at the hill. For this reason the connection and yard tracks on the main are kept in tip top shape. It is quite a show when one of transfer moves storms the hill with a lashup of GP38 types. Just to the south of west street you will find two former interchange tracks, IU1 and IU2, now used as yard tracks. Further south you will find the wye to the IP&L Harding Street generator, formerly called the Stout generator. Just south of Hanna avenue is the beginning of recently constructed Dixie siding. This long siding is used to stage trains for moving south without having to clog the cramped yard tracks in the terminal
Moving south, we come to the curious town of Bargersville. It is a typical Midwestern town, with a grain elevator, fire station, post office, and of course the bar. The Indiana Rail Road occupies a prominent position, running thru the down town in an open area, like a main street made up of steel rails.
Around the small town of Anita the rails hook to the west for the journey to Morgantown, arriving at Morgantown the railroad skirts the east side of the town, crossing over the long gone grade of the New York Central line to Martinsville. The line ends its fast flatland running here, beginning its trek to become the high and dry.
