What's the difference between railroad and railway?

[Anonymous]

What's the difference between railroad and railway? Any clues?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bnsf6733

What's the difference between railroad and railway? Any clues?

a.) American and Briti***erminology, in that order.

b.) within American usage, a railway can sometimes imply that it covers a smaller area than a railroad.

Cheers,
Mo

[Anonymous]

I have no real clue, but do you think it could be as simple as the original founders elected to use either Railroad or Railway when they named the line? That is my best guess, for what it's worth.

Tom

[simon1966]

Just as Maureen said, Railway is the Briti***erm. When I got back into MRR a few years back, I did a web search on Railway and could not understand why all the web sites that came up were British and Australian. It took me a visit to a hobby shop to realize my error and start searching for Railroad. It sure seemed odd when I thought that no-one in the US was interested in model trains.

[gvdobler]

In the movies they always say "I was railroaded out of town."

It doesn't sound the same to say "I was railwayed out of town."

So since movies were an American invention, they went away from the British "railway."

[:D]

[cacole]

The stock exchange used the term "railway," but the companies themselves mostly called themselves "railroad." For example, the New York Central was called a railroad on its schedules, depots, etc., but was called the New York Central Railway on its stock certificates.

Why the difference? The reason is probably lost in antiquity.

[cuyama]

There are dozens of large US railroads that use or used the term "railway" in their name.

According to the 1953 Railway Equipment Register, some of these are as large as the Chesapeake and Ohio, Norfolk and Western, Chicago Great Western, Southern, Virginian, Florida East Coast, Great Northen, Pacific Electric, the Frisco, etc., etc.

Oh, yeah, and that little line called the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe. (Which even today is officially the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe _Railway_)

There are also dozens of tiny lines that use "railroad" in their names, so there is no relationship whatsoever to size. And as far as I know, none of the "railways" mentioned above are in Britain.

One thing that happened with many smaller roads is that they changed their name from railroad to railway or vice-versa when restarting after bankruptcy and receivership. So many smaller roads may have been both railroad and railway (at different times) over the years.

So it seems to be whatever struck the promoters' fancy, just as Tom P. said.

Regards,

Byron

[jimrice4449]

The Brits use Railway (also Canadians) and the usual US term is railroad. Two exceptions come to mind in the case of US roads financed by Brits (or Canadians) such as GN and C&NW (which runs traffic on double track to the left to this day). The other exception would be US roads that entered bankruptcy and emerged after restructuring and changed the name from RR to RWY to diferentiate the new from the old.

[tatans]

There is a difference between a railway and a railroad which I believe begins in the incorporation, it is a legal and a contractual difference. One big difference comes up when shares,stocks and bonds are issued. One difference was some railways were more than railways: hotels, resorts, steamships, land ownership, airlines, trucking firms all under the guise of the original railway. Some railways were given massive land grants to expand, somewhere in a dusty old leather bound book is the answer. I worked for a "railway"and we were forbidden by corporate policy to use the word "railroad" Ask one of the historians from an American "railway"

[Texas Zepher]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tatans

There is a difference between a railway and a railroad which I believe begins in the incorporation, it is a legal and a contractual difference. ...cut.... I worked for a "railway"and we were forbidden by corporate policy to use the word "railroad"

Depending on the company that could very well be because to emerge from recievership the company was reoganized under a different name. Something like the original name was Denver & South Park Railroad but after bankruptcy its new legal name was Denver & South Park Railway. Or it could be the result of a merger. To avoid legal liabilities of the old company, its name would be forbidden. This isn't just railroads by the way, we are forbidden to use or mention any prior names of our telecommunications company.

[IRONROOSTER]

I love it[:D] Theories abound. It's kinda of like why do the British drive on the left and we drive on the right. Everyone has heard a story.[:D]
Enjoy
Paul

[Wdlgln005]

The main difference is the time between the last bankrupcy/reorganization hearing. some contol reverts from the Railroad to the Rail Road to the Railway and the Rail Way.
The peak for all this stuff may have been the 1880's when so many small railroads were proposed. Some got enough money to build 10 miles of track. Some lasted long enough for a dam or something to give them money. When the timber, coal or ore was depleted, the line vanished. Some got bought out by a large line to be sure nobody else connected a line from A to B. So many towns somebody thought would make a great city never grew up. As Mark Hemphill writes, the best route wins. Not frome somebody's lack of trying.

[CP5415]

Spelling!

Gordon [:D]

[chateauricher]

One (railway), is the correct term.

The other, is American. [swg]

(Y'know, sometimes its just too easy. [;)] )

[Jetrock]

Well, there's correct, and then there's right.

A lot of early American railroads used the term Rail Road, as opposed to the dirt kind, which is why the term is generally abbreviated RR instead of just R.

[Pruitt]

The difference is that "railroad" is one letter longer.

Whoever named the company chose which to use, if they used either of them at all. There was no criteria beyond that.

[Anonymous]

Railway is what we call it in Canada. I think they also call them Railways in the UK as well.
A Railroad is in the US. I haven't heard them referred to as Railroads anywhere outside the US.

Trevor

[dehusman]

There is no difference between them. A company can be a railroad, reorganize the next day and become a railroad and vice versa. There are US railroads and railways. both have the same diversity, both dabble in other industries, both can go the same places.

The two terms are just what the board of directors want to call themselves.

Dave H.

[Anonymous]

NONE

[Anonymous]

The Name

[trainboyH16-44]

QUOTE: Originally posted by TrevorG

Railway is what we call it in Canada. I think they also call them Railways in the UK as well.
A Railroad is in the US. I haven't heard them referred to as Railroads anywhere outside the US.

Trevor

Canadian Pacific RailWAY
Canadian National RailWAY
British Columbia RailWAY
Union Pacific RailROAD
Great North Eastern RailWAY
Great Northern RailROAD
See the difference?
Way=Britain and Canada
Road =US.
Trainboy
P.S. Hope not to bore you or repeat myself and everybody else.

[palallin]

trainboy:

See cuyama's post above.

[IRONROOSTER]

QUOTE: Originally posted by trainboyH16-44

QUOTE: Originally posted by TrevorG

Railway is what we call it in Canada. I think they also call them Railways in the UK as well.
A Railroad is in the US. I haven't heard them referred to as Railroads anywhere outside the US.

Trevor

Canadian Pacific RailWAY
Canadian National RailWAY
British Columbia RailWAY
Union Pacific RailROAD
Great North Eastern RailWAY
Great Northern RailROAD
See the difference?
Way=Britain and Canada
Road =US.
Trainboy
P.S. Hope not to bore you or repeat myself and everybody else.

Ahhh, but there are exceptions:
there is the Norfolk and Western Railway
and the New York, Ontario & Western Railway
and the New York Susquehanna & Western Railway
and the Florida East Coast Railway
and the Great Northern Railway
and the Peach Bottom Railway
and the Baltimore and Delta Railway Company
and the Central of Georgia Railway
and the Spokane Portland and Seattle Railway

and probably some others

[:D][:D]
Enjoy
Paul

[tatans]

Ironrooster: there are plenty "some others" for sure.

[fishplate]

I think that "Railway" is formal, true English I suppose. And "Railroad" is American
English or just American(United States). Not all things are cut and dry, take yamms
and sweet potatos for instance, are they not the same? [%-)][%-)]

[espeefoamer]

Railway has 7 letters.
Railroad has 8[;)].

[Dayliner]

The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary defines the two words identically, although it notes that "railroad" is chiefly U.S. usage. "Railway" dates from 1756; "railroad" from 1775.

[Fergmiester]

I've been Railroaded but never Railway'd.

[Train 284]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Maureen

QUOTE: Originally posted by bnsf6733

What's the difference between railroad and railway? Any clues?

a.) American and Briti***erminology, in that order.

b.) within American usage, a railway can sometimes imply that it covers a smaller area than a railroad.

Cheers,
Mo

Sounds exactly right from my point of view!

[Anonymous]

Wow ... don't any of you read the thread before you post?

Several examples have been given of "railway" being used in the US, yet people keep posting

... "railway is the UK"

... and "railway is Canada"

Look, even the BNSF is "railway"

Jon