Bench
Bench turns up in 2 fields: railroad, surveying. Here is what it means to the people in each one.
Bench in railroad
To sit near the tracks or a yard to watch passing trains and spot graffiti.
The act of waiting by the right-of-way or outside a rail yard specifically to observe, photograph, and document painted freight cars. Originating in urban transit culture, the term has carried over to freight rail fans and graffiti writers who track the movement of specific rolling stock across the network.
"I'm going down to the diamond to bench for a few hours and see what rolls in on the manifest."
Bench in surveying
A permanent bracket or mark used as a stable reference point for elevation.
A physical mounting point or reference mark fixed to a stable structure like a stone wall, concrete pillar, or bedrock. It provides a reliable platform for mounting instruments or serves as a permanent reference for vertical control during leveling runs.
"Tie into the bench on the retaining wall before we start running the levels for the new drainage pipe."