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.