MORE: Big Boy No. 4014 steam locomotive visits eastern Pa. during America’s 250th tour (PHOTOS)
Dozens of people in Reading on Thursday were treated for heat-related health issues while watching the historic Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014.
Several heat-related calls came in while people gathered at the Reading Outer Station to catch a glimpse of the massive locomotive.
The stop in Reading is part of a coast-to-coast tour marking the Big Boy’s first trip east of the Mississippi River since its construction in Schenectady, New York, in 1941.
Train fans can catch ‘Big Boy’ as it rolls through the Harrisburg area early next week before heading to Altoona.
People gather to see the Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 stop at the Reading & Northern Outer Station on Thursday, July 2, 2026, in Reading, during its nationwide tour commemorating America’s 250th anniversary.Saed Hindash | For lehighvalleylive.com
It is unclear if any people were hospitalized as a result of the extreme heat at the Reading event. The high in Reading was around 103 degrees Thursday.
Emergency responders assist with heat illness reported Thursday, July 2, 2026, at the Reading & Northern Railroad Outer Station along East Bellevue Avenue and Route 61 in Muhlenberg Township, Berks County. Crowds of people visited during Extreme Heat Warning conditions to see Union Pacific’s famed Big Boy No. 4014 locomotive during the East Coast leg of its national tour. Saed Hindash | For lehighvalleylive.com
Emergency responders assist with heat illness reported Thursday, July 2, 2026, at the Reading & Northern Railroad Outer Station along East Bellevue Avenue and Route 61 in Muhlenberg Township, Berks County. Crowds of people visited during Extreme Heat Warning conditions to see Union Pacific’s famed Big Boy No. 4014 locomotive during the East Coast leg of its national tour. Saed Hindash | For lehighvalleylive.com
High temperatures Thursday were expected to reach 102 degrees in Williamsport, Gettysburg and Sunbury, 103 degrees in Lancaster and Philadelphia, and 104 degrees in Harrisburg, according to the National Weather Service.
Relief from the heat will be hard to find even after the sun sets, as the low temperatures are expected to drop only into the high 70s.