BNSF nomenclature

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

Spent the past week racing at Heartland Motorsports Park south of Topeka with my son as well as visiting for the balance of the week.

Following US 75 (Topeka Blvd) South from town to the track, the road paralells a BNSF line South from town. Noticed BNSF ‘Block Signs’ ESS Pauline & WSS Pauline. Also observed a new signall installation that hasn’t yet been placed in service as well as the appearances that the switches serving the Pauline Co-Op Grain Elevator have been removed from the track.

In my experience ES or WS are rule book shorthand for East Switch or West Switch. I have no idea what ESS or WSS stand for?

2

East Siding Switch and West Siding Switch perhaps?

On CN the phrasing “siding [direction] switch” is used instead.

3

I can very that — You are looking at what happens when you have operating people from two different lines of thought over-thinking a common standard.

4

ESS = East Siding Switch

WSS = West Siding Switch

NSS = North Siding Switch

SSS = South Siding Switch

Ed Burns