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Incident on The Smiler 02/06/2015

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Not sure that comparing the reopening to roads is fair. To start with they need to get the roads open as quick as possible as many many people need to use it everyday. As fun as a coaster is, it isn't needed. Then with most road accidents they are caused by people using it, rather than the road itself or the people who maintain it.
 
I've just been down to it, there is someone doing something at the top of lift 1 and the whole area is closed off (just by staff standing there), it's the first I'm I've been down that way before 10 since the crash so that could be normal.
 
pj said:
Not sure that comparing the reopening to roads is fair. To start with they need to get the roads open as quick as possible as many many people need to use it everyday. As fun as a coaster is, it isn't needed. Then with most road accidents they are caused by people using it, rather than the road itself or the people who maintain it.
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Please don't start another two day debate... Let's keep it related to updates... Like pictures... I like pictures.
Videos of it testing always put a smile on my face as well!

Just don't start another never ending debate where every goes over & over the same topic.

If you want to talk about your opinions, put your point across or explain how you think the victims should be dealing with it, fine, but create another thread for it so the people that are interested in the new features & updates don't have to filter through pointless arguments:(
 
Alec said:
Please don't start another two day debate... Let's keep it related to updates... Like pictures... I like pictures.
Videos of it testing always put a smile on my face as well!

Just don't start another never ending debate where every goes over & over the same topic.

If you want to talk about your opinions, put your point across or explain how you think the victims should be dealing with it, fine, but create another thread for it so the people that are interested in the new features & updates don't have to filter through pointless arguments:(
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Finally someone seen some sense!
 
Let's face it there appears to be less updates now as most improvements have been discovered.
 
So come on guys let's have a bit a discussion again.

The smiler who will ride it when it reopens?

Anyone out there not too sure? I'm looking forward to it bing open but I do think it will be a bit strange hearing the music again
 
Looking on Twitter earlier, it seems x sector was closed as there was a big cherry picker installing what looked like a weather station (thing) to that recently installed pole on the side of the building.

The wind was pretty much why the empty train stalled I think. I went to towers not long after the crash and it was a really windy day that day. So an empty train, strong wind and a very slow inversion seems to be why it rolled back.

I imagine the new weather thing will alert the op if it's too windy
 
Even tho I hate the ride, I'll be there, front row, right.. That's my sweet spot.

Will they turn the music on when it opens latter next week.?
Ease into a gental silent ride opening, then go all out next year.
 
djtruefitt said:
Looking on Twitter earlier, it seems x sector was closed as there was a big cherry picker installing what looked like a weather station (thing) to that recently installed pole on the side of the building.

The wind was pretty much why the empty train stalled I think. I went to towers not long after the crash and it was a really windy day that day. So an empty train, strong wind and a very slow inversion seems to be why it rolled back.

I imagine the new weather thing will alert the op if it's too windy
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How will they be able to accurately know when it is too windy. On the day of the crash if the wind was 5mph it could have still stalled so how would they calibrate it.
 
I wonder what the threshold will be for wind gusts? Obviously not only 5mph or it could never operate. Alton Towers is pretty inland so it shouldn't be bad too often, but it could lead to frequent shut downs on bad weather days.
 
I'm waiting for it to reopen before I go again. I went in July & as much as I enjoyed my day it just didn't feel right not riding the Smiler, let alone it being closed with no music in that area. But I am 100% going to be riding it again & won't settle for anything less than the front row!

I thought it would have been a weather station. It just makes sense due to it's positioning. I suppose they could be trying to figure that out during the recent testing? Maybe also why it seems to be travelling at different speeds on some of the videos that have been taken.
 
A quick Google search and I find that yellow weather warnings were issued on the day indicating strong/gale force winds which would be 30-50mph gusts. On another website, the highest recorded wind speed on that day was 60mph at about 1pm, if I remember correctly the stall happened around 30mins later?

So I assume it will be closed on days where the winds are above a certain speed and this is just being installed to monitor it more accurately and as an additional safety measure.
 
A weather feed in station at similar hight to AT and at 30ish mile away record strongest guest of 53.4 mph during 1200 UTC (1300 BST) to 1230 UTC (1330BST) records
 
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