Overview
- The locomotive, which passed through Jim Thorpe, Reading, Pottstown and Amity Township on Thursday, ran late at times and attracted multi‑hour lines of spectators in triple‑digit heat.
- Local media and officials reported more than 100 people treated for heat‑related illness at Thursday’s stops and dozens taken for further evaluation at hospitals.
- Volunteer groups and towns opened parking, ran shuttles and handed out water while Union Pacific and local authorities urged people to stay off tracks, keep distance and follow heat‑safety advice.
- No. 4014 is one of eight surviving Big Boy locomotives, the only one currently operating after a 2019 restoration, and it is traveling on an America 250 tour that includes a free public display in Philadelphia on July 4–5.
- Fans described the brief whistle‑stops as once‑in‑a‑lifetime events, a pattern that is straining short‑term local planning and could prompt tighter crowd, traffic and medical preparations for remaining tour dates.