Out of its starting block in San Francisco, Train has paced themselves to a steady incline in popularity and making a living by playing the music they love. Hard work has taken the band to No. 27 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart and through 21 months of touring–this time making their way through town with Ben Folds Five at the Newport this Saturday.The band is Patrick Monahan (vocals, percussion), Jimmy Stafford (guitar, mandolin, vocals), Rob Hotchkiss (guitar, harmonica, vocals), Charlie Colin (bass) and Scott Underwood (drums, percussion). They met five years ago in L.A. when they were playing for different bands. Since then, they’ve deliberately been developing their careers in the slow lane.”We want to take our time,” guitarist Jimmy Stafford said. “It has been a real slow road and it’s been great. Our slow growth has been intentional. We don’t want to be a one-hit wonder.”The two singles released off of their self-titled debut album have received air play nationwide. “Meet Virginia,” and “Free” (which has been featured on the hit Fox television series “Party of Five”) are making Train’s independent label, Aware Records, a well-known name. “Most of America’s just now discovering (“Meet Virginia”),” Stafford said. As for their music as a whole, Stafford said he’s heard it described as rock or alternative.”It’s deeper than that. I don’t know where we fit. We’ve been compared to the Counting Crows and someone on our website said our singer sounds like the lead singer from Blind Melon. I can’t see that.”Being on the road has been tough for the band members, who range in age from late 20s to mid-30s, and have fiances, wives and children at home. But who said it is easy to fulfill a lifelong dream?”We are in this because we love this,” Monahan said in a Columbia Media release. “We tour because for 45 to 90 minutes every night we get a chance to play music in front of people and have them want to be there with us. We’ve been waiting and working for that since we were kids.”From stops in Seattle and Boston along their current tour, and onto stops in Las Vegas and New York, Stafford talked about the band’s favorite places to play.”Where we’re most popular we like to play. It’s how we’re received there. In Birmingham, they love us, so we love Birmingham. In Chicago, they love us, so we love Chicago,” Stafford said.Now touring with Ben Folds Five they are being exposed to their unique audience as well, Stafford said.Train’s album has sold 231,000 copies since its release in February 1998. And of course, the band just wants its success to keep on chuggin’. “We’ve been working together for five years,” Stafford said. “We are just pregnant with material. I hope we have it going for 10 albums more.”Catch Train in its tracks, Saturday at the Newport with Ben Folds Five. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster for $17.50. Call 431-3600 for more information.