The Reuben Wells is a steam locomotive in the permanent collection of The Children's Museum of Indianapolis located in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Beginning in 1868, it operated for 30 years in Madison, Indiana, pushing train cars up the steepest "standard-gauge main-track grade"^[1] in the United States.^[2]

The Reuben Wells is a helper locomotive that was built in 1868. It was designed to push train cars up the 5.89% incline of Madison Hill in Madison, Indiana, the steepest segment of 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge main-track in the United States.^[1] Weighing 55 short tons (49 long tons; 50 t), it was the most powerful locomotive in the world at the time. It is 35 feet (10.67 m) long.^[2][3] The locomotive is named after its designer, engineer Reuben Wells.^[4]

The Reuben Wells was made specifically for Madison Hill, Indiana, a 1.3-mile (2.1 km) long stretch of track that is known for having the steepest regular incline in the United States. The Jeffersonville, Madison and Indianapolis Railroad tried many different methods to get train cars up the hill.^[5] The couplers used to connect the train cars were not strong enough to withstand being pulled up the hill, making it necessary for the cars to be pushed.^[6] Initially a team of horses was used to pull the train cars up the hill. Following this, a cogwheel system was in use for about twenty years. The Reuben Wells was the first steam engine to work the grade by adhesion alone, pushing the cars up the hill as well as supporting them on the descent starting in 1880.^[6]

The Reuben Wells was completed in the railroad shops^[7] in 1868, and quickly proved to be a success leading to the creation of a second locomotive in 1869 named M. G. Bright. In 1886 Reuben Wells was shortened by 5 feet with the last pair of driving wheels removed and a new saddle tank placed atop of the boiler. She would continue pushing train cars up Madison Hill for twelve more years before she was retired in 1898. She stayed in reserve for another seven years before it was retired permanently and sent to Purdue University in 1905. Upon arriving at Purdue University, she was rebuilt back to her original configuration of an 0-10-0T. In the years that followed the Reuben Wells was included in several exhibitions, including the Chicago World's Fair in 1933–34 and the Chicago Railroad Fair in 1948–49. Afterward, she remained in Pennsylvania at Penn Central Transportation Company railroad yards. In 1968, the Reuben Wells was brought back to Indiana, where she was placed on permanent display at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis.^[3]

• 0-10-0
• John Bull locomotive