Here's a few other novel ways to do it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_elevator

The Falkirk Wheel looks amazing.

Another site listed the reason for using such a railroad type of conveyance
as a means to avoid letting a type of lamprey migrate from one body of water
to another:

http://www.galenfrysinger.com/big_chute_ontario.htm

-Bill Kearney