Written by L’Nyah Mattress

Racing through the pitch black of the tunnel, dense clouds of steam funnel out the chimney and coal residue fills passengers’ airways as the whistle blares; here comes Southern Railway 4501 charging down the track. The massive steam locomotive is one of many engines in the care of the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM).

Jason Fields, a qualified trainman for the TVRM, works to share his lifelong passion for trains and preserve train history in Chattanooga and for anyone who passes through. His position entails working in passenger train service as a historian who gives train tours—from sharing interesting facts to occasionally aiding engineers, he has experienced it all.

“I’ve been going there even before I was in Rail Camp when I was 13, so any chance I could’ve gotten to go out and get involved there, I took it,” said Fields.