MD80 CAPTAIN REPORTS TAIL COMPARTMENT TEMP HIGH WARNING PASSING FL180 DURING CLIMB. QRH IS COMPLIED WITH AND FLIGHT RETURNS TO DEPARTURE AIRPORT.

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WE TOOK OFF AT XA41 AND I WAS THE PLT FLYING THE ACFT. CLBING THROUGH APPROX 1800 FT; THE RED MASTER WARNING LIGHT AND TAIL COMPARTMENT TEMP HIGH LIGHT ON THE OVERHEAD ANNUNCIATOR PANEL ILLUMINATED. WE IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED THE QRH RED BOX ITEMS; BUT THE LIGHTS REMAINED ON. WE THEN INFORMED ATC THAT WE HAD A PROB AND NEEDED TO LEVEL OFF. I INSTRUCTED THE FO TO GET OUT THE QRH AND WE COMPLETED THE APPROPRIATE CHKLIST. 4-5 MINS AFTER THE LEVELOFF; AND CORRESPONDING THRUST REDUCTION; THE WARNING LIGHTS EXTINGUISHED. I ELECTED TO DISCONTINUE THE FLT AND RETURN TO ZZZ FOR LNDG. WE TOLD ATC THAT WE WOULD BE RETURNING AND DECLARED AN EMER. I THEN GAVE THE ACFT TO THE COPLT AND HE GOT INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN BACK. I CALLED DISPATCH AND INFORMED THEM OF THE PROB AND THAT WE WOULD BE COMING BACK AND THAT WE HAD DECLARED AN EMER. I THEN CALLED THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND INFORMED THEM OF THE NATURE OF THE PROB AND OF MY INTENTIONS. FINALLY; I MADE A PA TO THE PAX. I THEN TOOK THE ACFT BACK FROM THE COPLT. WE RECEIVED PRIORITY HANDLING FROM ATC AND WERE VECTORED TO A VISUAL APCH. I REQUESTED CFR AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE AND TOLD ATC THAT AFTER ROLLING OUT WE WOULD CLEAR THE RWY AND STOP SO THAT CFR COULD CHK OUT THE TAIL CONE AREA OF THE ACFT FOR ANY DAMAGE OR INDICATIONS OF FIRE OR SMOKE. WE PROCEEDED INBOUND AND REVIEWED BOTH THE OVERWT AND EMER LNDG CHKLISTS; COMPLETING ALL APPROPRIATE ITEMS. WE TOUCHED DOWN AT 135000 LBS; 140 KIAS; WITH A SOFT 100 FPM RATE OF DSCNT. AFTER CLRING THE RWY; I MADE A PA TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX SAYING THE EMER RESPONSE CREWS WOULD BE LOOKING US OVER AND TO REMAIN SEATED. CFR LOOKED US OVER AND INFORMED US THAT WE HAD NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT; AND COULD SEE NO UNUSUAL HEAT SOURCES OR SMOKE. I THEN MADE ANOTHER PA AND WE TAXIED TO A GATE AND DEPLANED THE PAX. MAINT PERSONNEL MET THE AIRPLANE AND I DISCUSSED THE EVENT WITH THEM. I WROTE UP ALL OF THE LOGBOOK ITEMS; SIGNED THE LOGBOOK; AND CALLED DISPATCH.