Scarlett Carson Wirt
was born in Oneida, Tennessee in 1961.
From the porch of her grandparents’ house, Scarlett grew up listening to
the sounds of coal trains as they switched from the Tennessee Railroad to the
Southern Railway outside Oneida. The era
of passenger rail had ended in the East Tennessee hills by then, but she still
enjoyed listening to her father tell stories of the days when station agents
handed out tickets to Cincinnati Reds Sunday double-headers, and a boy could take
the train up in the morning, walk to Crosley field from the station, enjoy the
games, and be home in bed by 10 PM, all for the cost of $2.09 (a penny a mile).
Scarlett moved to Maryland in
1983 and spent 15 years working as an IT manager before taking to the highways
in an RV with her husband in 2000. She
rediscovered her love of trains watching the big Union Pacific freights move between
Marathon and Alpine, TX before returning to Maryland in 2005. From her restored
1836 mill house in Laurel, she can still hear the CSX freight trains along the
Camden line (CSX Capitol Subdivision).
Scarlett’s association with the
DCNRHS began in 2007 when she made the fateful mistake of enquiring about a Dover Harbor calendar on a colleague’s
desk. She took a trip to Williamsburg,
went to crew orientation, and was hooked.
A member since 2008, Scarlett serves as a Chef and Porter aboard the Dover Harbor, a Car Attendant on the Franklin Inn, and commissary chief for
the club’s rail operations. She’s had
the opportunity to crew on numerous trips, including long-distance trips to the
National Railway Historical Society 2011 convention in Seattle, and the annual
American Association Private Rail Car Owners Chattanooga Special in 2012.
Scarlett helped establish the club’s official RAILS volunteer program,
and is active member of the strategic planning committee. Previously, Scarlett has served DCNRHS as the
Vice President and HR Director.
“I was initially attracted to the
DCNRHS by the opportunity to work and ride on the Dover Harbor” Scarlett said. “Over time I’ve come to appreciate
that we are the stewards of unique programs and resources – our railcars, and
the heritage they represent, our Library, and the knowledge of our volunteer
team. From the classic Dover Harbor Pullman car, the Pennsylvania Railroad coaches Franklin Inn and Collinsville Inn, the Railway Express Agency baggage cars, to the Martin
F. O’Rourke Memorial Library in Bowie, and through all our volunteers who make
our programs successful, these resources are a treasure. Our members are incredibly talented and
dedicated in their support of our rail heritage programs. It’s an honor to lead
‘the Chapter that does things!’”
Scarlett has a B.A. in English
from Maryville College in Tennessee, and an M.S. in Computer Systems Management
from the University of Maryland. She is
employed as a compliance officer. She
lives in Laurel, MD . Scarlett also enjoys spending time with her family, visiting with friends, traveling (by train and
otherwise), gardening, cooking, and historical research.