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Incident on The Smiler 02/06/2015

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Tom said:
I can envision some conflict with Gerstlauer actually, as they will likely be of the stance that there is nothing wrong with their ride and that it has been failed to operate correctly by the owner-user. Merlin might take the view that while they should have prevented the collision, the design of the trains needs to be looked at or something. I can imagine all sorts of friction which would support the case for it being a rather lengthy process which si unlikely to be resolved this year.
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I disagree with that totally. Merlin can't, and I'm sure won't, go blaming Gerstlauer. I'd imagine this design review is a fairly standard practice following such an event - there's every chance it may be reviewed and decided that nothing actually needs to be changed by Gerstlauer.

:)
 
Towers/Merlin can't blame Gerstlauer if the ride system did it's job and the incident was caused by the person operating the ride at the time...
 
They obviously believe that Gerstlauer has to play a role in changes to the ride, even if that's for political/PR reasons.

Gerstlauer have been quoted as saying that there is nothing wrong with their rides following the crash.
 
Tom said:
They obviously believe that Gerstlauer has to play a role in changes to the ride, even if that's for political/PR reasons.

Gerstlauer have been quoted as saying that there is nothing wrong with their rides following the crash.
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It would be niave not to enter into some sort of discussion with Gerstlauer seeing as they are the ride manufacturer. They need two more trains for a start. Doesn't mean that those discussion are about what Gerstlauer may have done wrong.

:)
 
From what I've read on here the design of the ride could arguably be a factor given that it was possible for a train to stall due to not having enough power to get round (when it was empty and the conditions were windy). So even though it appears the ride did its job by stopping the carriage on the lift hill, the fact that it was possible for the first carriage to stall means the design was one of many factors that combined to cause the accident.
 
Exactly. The possibility of empty trains stalling at that point has been known since Smiler first started testing, and regardless of the sequence of events that unfolded when it did happen that day, if it hadn't stalled at all that would have meant no potential for the collision to happen there in the first place (never fear, Captain Obvious is here!). I'd like to see the ride running as soon as possible, but whether it opens this year or not I think a certain amount of retracking over closed season would be a very good idea to reduce the height of the batwing and eliminate the jolts in the first drop and cobra roll exit. I very much doubt that'll happen though.
 
There are lots of factors. The car design is just one.

Merlin will HAVE TO enter discussions with gerst. Not optional. They need 2 new cars, possible train upgrades (such as to stop it stalling, or remove the bar that crushed their legs), they might just talk to them about the technical aspects of the crash so guest can be given the chance to say that it isn't their fault after the HSE report has come out. If it is a technical issue, then gerst will have to comment. Even if the issue was very little to do with them, gerst will have to have talks with merlin.
 
bluesonichd said:
so would reducing prices to 2012 gate prices make people want to visit, no, people are idiots! end of.
the guys staying away as 1 ride is shut, really?! what you gonna do instead , sit on your ass and watch tv!
shockingly there was a time before the smiler.
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I think it's unfair to call people idiots because they are staying away because of this.

Many factors to consider.

- Peoples favourite ride
- Expensive gate prices

I haven't been since smiler has been closed and I don't even like the ride. But people who I would be going with love it and they won't go while it is closed.
 
I don't just go for one ride. I like nemesis, but if that was closed, i would go for oblivion, 13, air... These people go for the smiler and that's it. I sort of understand, but why. 1 ride on the smiler, or ride counts like we have been having. 15+ rides in one day. It doesn't exactly seem like the most intelligent thing to do if you know what i mean
 
Ash123uk said:
I think it's unfair to call people idiots because they are staying away because of this.

Many factors to consider.

- Peoples favourite ride
- Expensive gate prices

I haven't been since smiler has been closed and I don't even like the ride. But people who I would be going with love it and they won't go while it is closed.
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has the ride being closed had an influence on you not visiting the park?
 
bluesonichd said:
has the ride being closed had an influence on you not visiting the park?
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Yes it has.

Like I said. It's not even a favourite of mine. But the people I would go with don't want to go with it being shut. And I totally understand that.

If I got to AT and Oblivion wasn't open, I would be gutted, and it would spoil my day.

So if I knew before hand I would plan for another day when I knew it would be open.
 
Ash123uk said:
Yes it has.

Like I said. It's not even a favourite of mine. But the people I would go with don't want to go with it being shut. And I totally understand that.

If I got to AT and Oblivion wasn't open, I would be gutted, and it would spoil my day.

So if I knew before hand I would plan for another day when I knew it would be open.
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ok, I wont pretend to understand as my mind obviously works totally different o_O
I cant get my head around how people who have probably visited the park every year including pre-smiler but now wont visit because the smiler is closed.. madness! :rolleyes: plus the queue times are so low... and yet they will wait till the smiler opens and then have to queue for hours for every ride... ::baffled:: :confused:
 
bluesonichd said:
ok, I wont pretend to understand as my mind obviously works totally different o_O
I cant get my head around how people who have probably visited the park every year including pre-smiler but now wont visit because the smiler is closed.. madness! :rolleyes: plus the queue times are so low... and yet they will wait till the smiler opens and then have to queue for hours for every ride... ::baffled:: :confused:
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lol

i would and will go... its just that the people i would go with won't while its closed.

as for not going when Oblivion isn't open, i think thats maybe because we know that if that did happen, it would probably be open the next day or so, but with the smiler it is different.
 
Ash123uk said:
lol

i would and will go... its just that the people i would go with won't while its closed.

as for not going when Oblivion isn't open, i think thats maybe because we know that if that did happen, it would probably be open the next day or so, but with the smiler it is different.
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haha so my choice of calling people idiots was correct :p
and btw.. the other week I had 11 consecutive rides on oblivion... :D
 
bluesonichd said:
haha so my choice of calling people idiots was correct :p
and btw.. the other week I had 11 consecutive rides on oblivion... :D
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did you have to get off and go around or could you just stay on?

i remember opening year of Kraken in florida, they just let us stay on, went around about 4 times.
 
At most parks I take a 'NEVER MISS A RIDE!' attitude, but I find I don't really want to go to Towers on a day when the coasters are walk on any more. On days like that it can be very short of atmosphere, and if you arrive for opening you can easily cross off the stuff worth doing in a few hours, then end up either faffing about or doing another lap of the park. I visit more to socialise than to do the rides these days. I still enjoy the coasters, but after almost three years of going regularly by the time The Smiler opened in 2013 I already felt like I'd done the existing ones so many times that I wasn't that bothered about rushing around to get as many rides in as possible.

Smiler rejuvenated my interest in going, because as well as being new it also happened to be a damn good ride that filled a gap in the park's lineup with its force, inversions and length. I've done it quite a lot and know it very well, but even after two years I don't feel like I've overdone it (probably because of the throughput!) so the prospect of riding it interests me more than for the other coasters. It might be that a lot of other passholders feel the same.
 
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I feel the same with nemesis. I have done it so many times now that its not as good anymore. Id rather go on oblivion sometimes as I've only done it twice and it genuinely scares me.

but don't get me wrong, nemesis is still my favourite
 
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