Search results

And finally... THE SMILER CRASH - Part 3 This is the aftermath and HSE report conclusions. It runs through what Alton Towers and the ride personnel did correctly, and unfortunately for all those involved, what they did not quite so well... In short, whilst the technicians made mistakes (in...

It is irrelevant who Electrical Technician A is, and the errors he made. It was all too easy for any individual in his position to take the actions he did. Alton Towers/Merlin are at fault here, as will be explained in Part 3 next week.

More in Part 3...

In Part 1 of my series: 25 CCTV cameras around The Smiler, displayed on just 2 TV screens. Images cycle between cameras: small images around the outside, one larger on in the middle. If you take your time and survey the ride circuit, you would (hopefully) eventually spot it. However, Electrical...

Apologies for the delay, every time I've uploaded this video and checked through it, I've spotted something new. It's also taken time for the relevant proof-views to feed back to me. Anyway, without further ado... THE SMILER CRASH - Part 2 This is the accident timeline, and shows what was...

The reports don't detail the exact way Mode 4 works, only that it brings the trains back to Ground Level, starting with the train furthest through the ride circuit (and without dispatching a train from the Station). The principle I have demonstrate is the same as you have experienced, and will...

Apologies for bumping an old subject... but spurred on by a mate telling me they would no longer go on any rollercoasters after the accident, I wanted to put him straight! THE SMILER CRASH - No Stone Left Unturned It's taken a couple of months, but I've put together what I hope will be the...

A quick note that I have re-uploaded the video. ITHOTMK is region locked by copyright, hence why some were having issues playing it. Should work fine now. Thanks @Altonadvocate1, and everyone else for your appreciation of the recreation. It's not going to be 100% accurate, as I'm sure features...

New video now online. Including multi-angle POVs and off-ride shots. The lift is set at 20kmph, which gives it a nice kick through the course. Any faster and I'd question why the lift-hill isn't also in a sound tunnel.

Ta-da! Video will follow in the next couple of days. I've not done any building interiors (anyone's guess) and I've left off the overflow queue (the main one took long enough).

Nearly finished: With all the sound walls and the sound tunnel, it's going to be one odd looking woodie!

Very rough and ready POV video: Better one to follow once the model is finished.

I'll just leave these here:

I believe Mi-Nigle is correct in his post: The edges of the angled glass is cleverly hidden between a mast on the right, and the central rope of the rigging on the left. The instant the boat passes the rigging, you can see the light shimmering against this angled piece of glass. Since it is at...

For interest, the wooden structure (with catwalks) fits pretty snuggly inside the red lines of the drawing, so I'm afraid it rules out a racer: Mutiny Bay, Katanga and Towers Street could be viewed as the family area of the park, so it makes sense to have a family coaster here rather than some...

Here we go again: First images of a No Limits 2 recreation. Lots of liberties taken, but it is to scale based on the plans so you can see how big it is. I'm guessing the first drop goes in to a tunnel, given the elevations of the ground and those highlighted on the plan. The lift hill changes...

With The Smiler's future still in question (will it be re-branded, re-themed, relocated... :nomouth:) I thought I'd have a play and see what I'd do to re-invent the ride. I've always loved SteamPunk, so naturally I would love to see a ride with this theme. Simple alterations to The Smiler shown...

Yeah, plastering them a few meters apart is overkill. Usually you should not have to see more than one in your field of view. Have any of the other Merlin parks done the same? Did anyone read about the incident on Batman at Six Flags over Georgia...

I'm not really wanting to be an advocate for these signs, but theming them would probably invalidate them. Someone claiming "I thought it was just part of the theming..." would probably be held up in a court of Law and it looks like the park is belittling the danger involved in going in to a...

It's still quite disconcerting on the tube, to young families who may be going on a day/evening out. Don't use this door as you might die.