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Incident on The Smiler 02/06/2015

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JB1985 said:
Question and off topic.....what were the original plans for SW7?
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Joseph said:
The Smiler, was the original plan. Themed differently IIRC like The Sanctuary.
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The Smiler was not the original plan. The Smiler was planned very late on (hence the lack of any themacitc detail in the original planning application) and totally rushed (hence the lack of proper ground survey meaning that the plans for all foundations had to be changed and we got a huge concrete pit rather than a nice landscaped plaza).

What were the original plans? No-one knows for sure but it certainly wasn't on the Black Hole site. We were told at one point by Morwenna I think (former marketing director) that the Black Hole tent site would either be used in 2012 but if not then there would be no planned work on it until 2015 at the earliest. SW7 was never planned to go in X-Sector but it proved to be a good site to use for a last minute coaster as the land is covered by Permitted Development Rights (i.e. they did not need planning permssion for the coaster track).

If you believe the strong rumours that were coming from multiple sources, SW7 was meant to be in Forbidden Valley. There were all sorts of rumours flying around including the station being where Blade was, a launch with the coaster ending up on the car park behind Air, a B&M 4D, Intamin and B&M working together (B&M track, Intamin launch, that probably was just a rumour) but for whatever reason this project never happened. Chances are it was down to either cost or the development not being ready for implementation by the manufacturer.

Anyway this is way off-topic! I hope this helps answer your question but let's get back to the incident on The Smiler now. There doesn't really seem much else to report on that matter for the time being, we're just playing a waiting game.

:)
 
Has it been testing at any time throughout scarefest? Was there last weekend and didn't notice it move once.
 
It was testing during the day on some weekdays last week. Unsure of any acitivity so far this week.

:)
 
It's very disappointing to have had the flourish of testing activity, for it to all tail off. My brother will be there tomorrow, I'll ask him to report on what is going on.
 
It didn't test on Saturday when I was there I'm pretty sure, I was in X Sector 4 different points of the day and nothing.
 
I have to tread carefully with the information that I was told on my visit to Alton last week Tuesday and Wednesday. I did sort of post on here last week with what was apparently going on, but now I'm going to tell you what I know. I've no concrete prof, but I do feel that even if the Smiler don't open before the end of the season, I do feel this is a positive step.

On Tuesday I arrived at the gates first thing and was the first waiting by the turnstiles. I ask a staff member what was the reason why the prohibitive order still in place. "Was it due to the fact that the HSE have not yet been out to inspect the ride or was it due to the fact that they have and decline to have it removed?" The response was that the HSE have recently been out to inspect it and Alton Towers were waiting for them to come back with an answer. They said that no one knew for sure when that will happen.

We were let in about 9.45 am and I headed straight for Oblivion for my first ride. As I walked around the top end of the toilet block just outside the X sector, I could see The Smiler being tested. Also standing just outside the X sector was staff members watching the testing (I've don't recognize the staff members). It was here that I discovered that staff members have been riding the Smiler that morning. So my first question was, "how come the staff are allowed to ride the Smiler if the prohibition order is still in place?"

The reply was it was removed Monday morning and they said that the ride has been handed over to Alton Towers. As I was now excited, I ask if it will be open that day and they said no it's been ordered to do so many numbers of hours worth of testing (including the staff members riding it) before it can open to the public. This was ordered by Alton Towers internal Health and Safety team, not to be confused with the HSE.

I then entered the X sector where I got talking to another member of staff who once knew what I knew confirmed that Alton Towers have made it very clear that the ride will not re open for the scarefest due to the press will be all over it with "Horror crash ride opens for scarefest".

Will it open for the fireworks, well they didn't know that and would like to think it would. Again, will it open as the press could be all over that with "the Smiler opens with a bang for the fireworks".

I can also confirm that the Smiler was testing for most of the morning Wednesday as well.
 
When I arrived Wednesday morning the queue times said that the smiler was open I ran as fast as I could but it was closed but testing all day.

I think that alton towers just missed their deadline for scarefest. Shame but scarefest as an evenot has been so good it's hardly been missed.

Good to see the park beginning to show some signs of recovery. Might help towers to show the magic actually works.
 
RoyJess said:
I have to tread carefully with the information that I was told on my visit to Alton last week Tuesday and Wednesday. I did sort of post on here last week with what was apparently going on, but now I'm going to tell you what I know. I've no concrete prof, but I do feel that even if the Smiler don't open before the end of the season, I do feel this is a positive step.

On Tuesday I arrived at the gates first thing and was the first waiting by the turnstiles. I ask a staff member what was the reason why the prohibitive order still in place. "Was it due to the fact that the HSE have not yet been out to inspect the ride or was it due to the fact that they have and decline to have it removed?" The response was that the HSE have recently been out to inspect it and Alton Towers were waiting for them to come back with an answer. They said that no one knew for sure when that will happen.

We were let in about 9.45 am and I headed straight for Oblivion for my first ride. As I walked around the top end of the toilet block just outside the X sector, I could see The Smiler being tested. Also standing just outside the X sector was staff members watching the testing (I've don't recognize the staff members). It was here that I discovered that staff members have been riding the Smiler that morning. So my first question was, "how come the staff are allowed to ride the Smiler if the prohibition order is still in place?"

The reply was it was removed Monday morning and they said that the ride has been handed over to Alton Towers. As I was now excited, I ask if it will be open that day and they said no it's been ordered to do so many numbers of hours worth of testing (including the staff members riding it) before it can open to the public. This was ordered by Alton Towers internal Health and Safety team, not to be confused with the HSE.

I then entered the X sector where I got talking to another member of staff who once knew what I knew confirmed that Alton Towers have made it very clear that the ride will not re open for the scarefest due to the press will be all over it with "Horror crash ride opens for scarefest".

Will it open for the fireworks, well they didn't know that and would like to think it would. Again, will it open as the press could be all over that with "the Smiler opens with a bang for the fireworks".

I can also confirm that the Smiler was testing for most of the morning Wednesday as well.
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Funny but I was there other same day and was told a similar story by someone as we were leaving at about 9pm. So much has been made up and guessed at that I'll just believe it when it's open and not before.
 
TBH, I think it was a good idea not to open for Scarefest as with the idea of reopening a ride after such an accident like that would be horribly out of tune from a PR perspective for that time of the year, so in hindsight, I'm sure they played their cards correctly here.
 
phildenholm said:
Funny but I was there other same day and was told a similar story by someone as we were leaving at about 9pm. So much has been made up and guessed at that I'll just believe it when it's open and not before.
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That wasn't me that told you the story on the way out? ;)

I've spoke to many staff members other the two days, (with the exception of the two staff members I spoken to first thing inside the park on Tuesday) they either said that they knew nothing about it as they don't get told anything or they are not allowed to talk about it. But not one member of staff said it wasn't true ;)

We might be lucky to see them opening it for the last week of the season, but I'm not going to get my hopes up. I personally think that they are testing it before the close season, so they can do their normal winter checks and then maybe have it all up and running for the start of the next season :)
 
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