Over 100 vintage train fans fall ill seeing locomotive roll through their Pennsylvania town
Source: The Independent
Friday 03 July 2026 15:54 EDT
More than 100 people received medical attention due to heat-related illness Thursday at a train show in Reading, Pennsylvania, declaring it a “mass casualty incident.” Crowds gathered at Reading Outer Station in Muhlenberg Township to watch the historic Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 steam locomotive.
Operational delays pushed the locomotive’s arrival back more than an hour, leaving attendees waiting in about 106-degree heat, the Muhlenberg Township Police Department said in a news release.
“More than 100 individuals received medical treatment on scene, and 35 patients were transported to area hospitals for further evaluation and care. One patient suffered cardiac arrest and was successfully resuscitated prior to transport,” the police said.
The train's delayed arrival due to the heat meant many spectators had to remain in the blistering sun longer than expected, worsening the situation, officials said. Emergency medical crews quickly exhausted local resources and called for assistance from neighboring Chester and Montgomery counties.
Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/reading-pennsylvania-locomotive-show-heat-illness-b3008651.html
Heard about this on my weather forum.
= new reply since forum marked as read
It was 96 degrees in Pittsburgh today and expected to be around 92 tomorrow afternoon. These are very high temps for Pittsburgh, where the summer temperatures rarely get into the high 80s.
Most summers aren't that bad here. We might have an afternoon temperature of 87 or 88 for a couple hours, but it's back down to the 70s after midnight. This week hasn't been like that at all.
