"painstakingly retraced throughout the length" - Yeah, it's not possible to delete ways in the Id editor without following them. Wow.

Features are glued to other features? Then fix it instead of lazily deleting it.

If an alignment of a railtrail dosen't follow the rail ROW, then remove the railway=abandoned there instead of the entire trail.

Don't forget to reply my other comments on your mass deletions and please explain how the traces I pointed out don't actually exist, like you're claiming ("to make sure no trace exists").

It was discussed on the Osmus slack channel a while ago.
But I don't know what is meant with "desciptive names".
Names like "X Gathering System"? That's not "descriptive" in this context, that's just ... well, the name, see e.g. https://cdn-gmlal.nitrocdn.com/COEFSwWOUXelieQTcxnmdtQFhbuAVPuh/assets/images/optimized/rev-f691760/www.enverus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Midstream_Top5.jpg
for the EOG Resources Eagle Ford East Gathering System.

Also names like "X to Y [Pipeline]" are quite common as being the 'official' name.

Thanks for the reply. It seems that we have different understandings of what railway=abandoned means.
The way I am interpreting the wiki and have used it is that it doesen't mean "former railway" but instead "former railway still traceable".

Not everyone needs to be able to immediatly trace it from the ground - but it should be possible, and it is the case here.

The embarkments, tree lines, buildings alignments, railtrails, etc etc etc and heck, even the difference in vegetation color on farmland are still remnants that actually exist on the ground. Those features didn't just came out of nowhere - they're only there because there is/was a railroad right-of-way.
I don't see anything wrong with mapping that context, especially in times where micromapping like 3Dbuildings, manholes, road markings, parking spaces. etc is encouraged.

way/1191749346 exists, treeline, 3DEP
way/1254959260,1254959261,1065975646,1254959266,1254959267,1254959264 exists, treeline, 3DEP

way/1065975647,1254959261 clearly visible due to building/road alignment, tree lines, vegetation changes

way/1254959310 clearly visible at 3DEP/vegetation
way/1254959309 existing due to building alignment
way/1254959308 existing due to field lines, tree lines, vegetation changes, building alignments

way/782420318,264693301 very clearly existing due to treeline along entire line

way/332359659 clearly visible on 3DEP/building alignment/cutting

way/21732837 clearly existing at 3DEP, tree lines, vegetation (color) changes

way/21735194 clearly existing due to tree lines, field lines, 3DEP, building alignments

still exists, visible due to rail alignment

way/323167104 exists, obvious treeline along entire line

Both ways existing, clearly visible vegetation color changes

way/167290782 exists, straightforward due to rail alignment
way/794428709 exists due field lines, tree lines
way/333016876 exists, railtrail, clear embarkment/shape
way/794428710 exists treeline
way/794428712,794428713,333017767 exists, treeline, 3DEP

way/166769158 clearly visible along entire length due to treelines, field lines, building alignments
way/486414921 exists because of treelines
way/167035570 clearly visible within Maroa due to treeline/building alignment, outside not overbuilt & straightforward to interpret

way/333019976 exists because of fences/alignment of the storage yard
way/333018660 exists because of clear vegetation changes/treeline
way/89149513 clearly visible on 3DEP, within a cutting

way/167022870 exists along de facto entire length due to tree lines, road alignments, canal alignments, field lines, building alignments, vegetation color changes

way/1103141948 exists due to tree lines, field lines
way/1103141947 exists due to field lines
way/1103141946 exists due to tree line

way/167290826 exists almost at its entire length due to the field changes & adjoining buildings & clearly noticeable vegetation color changes

way/167035570 exists within Kenney, Rowell & at various agriculture field lines & noticeable vegetation color differences along the entire way