Definition of a Railway (Was Port Elliot)

[Chris Brownbill <cbrnbill@enternet.com.au>]

OK all you learned people, this thread is raising an interesting point -
what is the definition of a railway?

The recent ARHS NSW publication "Australian Railway Routes 1854 - 2000"
uses the following definition... "A Railway is defined in this
publication as one worked by mechanical power over steel (or iron)
rails.  Excluded are street tramways and lines which used only horse or
human power, and/or had wooden rails".

What do you all think about this definition?  Under these rules, the
Sandridge line is Australia's first railway.  (And this from NSW!!!!!!)

When thinking about your definition, I suggest you consider each of the
following examples to decide whether they would or would not be
classified a railway under your alternative definition:

1. Sydney to Parramatta
2. Melbourne to St Kilda Light Rail
3. Goolwa to Port Elliot horse tramway
4. Port Arthur convict-powered line
5. An underground mine coal-skip line
6. The Glenelg tramway
7. Sugar cane tramways
8. The Sydney Monorail
9. The Katoomba "Scenic Railway"
10. The Adelaide O-Bahn
11. The rubber-tyred Metro lines in Paris and Montreal
12. The former "Plateways" of Europe
13. A roller-coaster at Luna Park etc
14. The Balley-hooley tourist tramway
15. A rail-based ship slipway
16. A roll-a-door on a garage
17. A conveyor-belt
19. Electric trolley-buses

According to the above ARHS publication, only numbers 1 and 9 are
considered railways - although numbers 2 and 6 are considered closed
railways.