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Incident on The Smiler 02/06/2015

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With it being reported that testing has stopped, i wonder if this is the calm before the storm?
 
Hat said:
If HSE have cleared it then I don't get why they haven't opened it
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We don't know for sure if the HSE have signed it off.

I've given up on The Smiler opening this year now which is a real pity as Towers did want to have it open again before the end of the season. Clearly they've either had more issues than anticipated trying to get the notice lifted or they've decided not to froma crisis management point of view.

Twice when we were in X-Sector yesterday Oblivion broke down. With both coasters in the area closed it just felt so pointless as a theme park area. I'm not the biggest fan of The Smiler but Alton Towers really needs it right now.

:)
 
Hat said:
If HSE have cleared it then I don't get why they haven't opened it
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Alton Towers have made it very clear that they will definitely not be opening the Smiler during the scarefest out of respect as well as creating bad press.

Also I've been told that a minimum number of hours of testing needs to be met before the public can ride it. What that number is I don't know. If it is less than 100 hours then it could open this week, but if it more, then more testing will be required over the closed season, maybe well into early next season.

delta79 said:
With it being reported that testing has stopped, i wonder if this is the calm before the storm?
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What I understand, they haven't been testing the Smiler over the weekends for the past few weeks. Only on weekdays, mainly in the mornings and early afternoons.

When it will reopen is really anyone's guess, could be today? Big 6 day? Next season or even the very last day of this season, by the time the press gets hold of the story, the park will be closed for the winter season and all would have calm down again by next season.
 
There is one thing missing from this debate..... the staff.

What if the staff themselves don't yet feel ready to operate/work on the ride? Sure, Alton may be ready to open it, but what if they can't get any staff to work on it. Personally, I wouldn't like to be working on it the first few days/weeks. And if anything did happen on the ride, such as a routine stop on the lift hill, or the vertical lift like has happened in the past, can you imagine the panic that would set in among the riders......
 
GaryH said:
There is one thing missing from this debate..... the staff.

What if the staff themselves don't yet feel ready to operate/work on the ride? Sure, Alton may be ready to open it, but what if they can't get any staff to work on it. Personally, I wouldn't like to be working on it the first few days/weeks. And if anything did happen on the ride, such as a routine stop on the lift hill, or the vertical lift like has happened in the past, can you imagine the panic that would set in among the riders......
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If that was an issue it would be true of whenever The Smiler was to re-open. I am pretty certain that staff not wanting to work on the ride is not an issue. They're working on other rides at present anyway and I'm sure that some are just as keen as we are to see the ride re-open.

:)
 
I don't understand why people think testing the ride implies an immediate/semi-immediate opening? The park isn't just going to put their feet up and say 'it's alright we'll do nothing until 2 months before the next Season starts' - they'll begin testing it/making amendments from the earliest date feasible because truth is they aren't 100% sure what will need to be changed in order for it to get the green light.

I'm probably part of a minority but I think they should either rework the batwing, or bulldoze the ride. It's been a disaster from day one and mark my words will continue to be a disaster for the park unless these issues are resolved.
 
Ive got a slim hope it will open late today. Media frenzy tomorrow but nullified by 3 hour queues as its big six day and everyone there would have already been on it before and no doubt want to go on it again. A massive queue to report may actually be good PR for Merlin in this instance. "These lot aint scared"
 
When there were 5 cars how did that work? Surely only 1 can be in each of the open sections after each lift hill. 1 at bottom of lift 1 and 1 in station? Thats 4. Or did one wait at the bottom of lift hill 2 as well?
 
Resonate said:
Do they not unload in the same position as they load? So 5th car was pointless?
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There was definitely five. If timed right you could have one on each lift hill, one leaving the station then one loading and one waiting behind it.
 
I know of one member of staff who has moved, not naming any names, on 4 trains if they got fast dispatches there was a gap of a few seconds between train 4 leaving the station and train 1 coming back in. The 5th train filled that gap but it meant the trains waiting on the transfer track then moving into the station building waiting there then moving into the station.
 
DiogoJ42 said:
They really should have installed an offload area, after all, the train stacks stacked inside the station.
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This, and I always thought that it should've been trains of 6 carriages, not 4 as what we got. This would reduce the amount trains on the track, as well as a crash and most importantly help with capacity. Add that with a second dispatch area in the station then it's capacity problems would be all right for the most part.
 
Well, looks like those that said it wouldn't open this season were right, apologies for doubting you.

It's probably for the best though, the last thing the Smiler needed was to be in a rush to be open. See you next year you crazy Gerstlauer creation.
 
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