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Incident on The Smiler 02/06/2015

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AirFAN said:
Birmingham Mail is owned by Trinity Mirror.

This was posted recently too http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/new...ghters-commended-alton-towers-smiler-10031317
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Yep. The Birmingham Mail used to be a reasonable rag but nowadays it's more and more clickbait. They're obviously now just encouraged to come up with any old crap to fill space and entice readers in. As a West Brom fan and living on the outskirts of Birmingham I've seen the same happen with the 2 newspapers throughout the whole football transfer window. Same stories popping up in both papers with little original, or even correct, content a lot of the time. The reporters are obviously under pressure to just deliver stories and that's what they're doing, whatever the actual merit of them.
 
dazza4783 said:
It could also mean that they have a date in mind that they are aiming for but don't want to say incase there are any more setbacks between now and then.
Remember when they said The Smiler would be open on March 16th 2013, then May 23rd 2013.
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To have a date in mind and say it's closed for the foreseeable future and no decision has been taken would be incredibly misleading. It really isn't hard to use different phrases like 'until further notice', which they have done intermittently for whatever reason.

If you think their language is appropriate and accurate despite you believing they have a date in mine then that's fine, but there really is nothing left to argue.
 
At the moment the smiler is in the hands of engineers having what we understand to be safety upgrades. once the installation of these are done, they need verifying. Merlin must have a Estimated date for this to be done, however any problems will push that date back.
After the hardware safety upgrade are completed, the staff will need upgrading on any new procedure and verified as competent before a reopening date is set.
 
According to someone on Towers Times The Smiler was running again late this afternoon. 2 cars were being sent around the track. Could this have been staff training?
 
Hello! First time poster long time follower here!

Also a enthusiast but can't believe we're all sat here speculating "the forseeae future"

I want it to open as much as you all but I don't feel sitting here discussing the language used will help, it will open when it opens and there's not a lot we can do about it! Just wait and see!
 
Hi all,

I was at AT today. Smiler was running as we sat and had lunch next to the lake, I said to the wife "that looks fun" and left her with the kids to wander off and find an unbranded coaster with empty cars running round, I had no idea it was Smiler until I asked - I thought it was a broken ride testing.

The cars kept going round whilst I went on Oblivion and returned to the lake and ate lunch.
 
As i said, all the branding and merch will simply appear overnight and then it will be open.

No fanfare, no announcement, it will just open.
 
Given everything that's happened I would be surprised if Merlin didn't release a press release. It shows respect for those involved if nothing else. There's no reason why the park wouldn't have something to gain from doing this.
 
Lets get one thing clear here. the emergency services did risk their lives and do so every day. Getting to the park, on blue lights or flying in, working that high up from the ground on a make shift platform, yes they did risk their lives and the victims can see that and have gone to thank them, rightly so!
 
Nope. Last 2 trains have the water filled test dummies sat in them :)
Edit there's staff op at the entrance again now. She wouldnt tell me anything tho :/
 
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People here posting things such as we shouldn't be speculating on what the forseeable future can be interpreted as, fail to see the point as to why we are speculating on it in the first place.

We are enthusiasts. It's what we do, and i don't think it is for anyone to criticise that, if we thought speculating on a tentative opening time or date was pointless, we simply wouldn't do it.

We all feel bad for the crash victims, however, The prohibition order had been lifted (they wouldn't be allowed to do extensive testing if it was not) and it is time for us to move on from it.

The victims have been and will continue to be well taken care of, but now they need to start damage limitation and get it running this season rather than next.

Some of us speculate about opening because we live 4 hours away and pay a lot for on site accommodation when we go to towers, which i don't want to do until i know the full ride line up is available.

is it testing again today?
 
spinba11 said:
I may be wrong but I think I can see 4 trains, one (maybe) in the station where people get on and 3 lined up behind it
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Well if that's true then that practically confirms that AT have replaced the 2 trains involved in the crash, which is positive news for the future of the ride. I guess you could read into it a number of ways really, but there's really only 2 possible theories I can think of:

1. AT are gearing up for a reopening in the very near future, and the work that they are doing is to ensure that the ride is safe to reopen. (imo most likely option!)
2. AT are doing the repair/upgrade/prep work on The Smiler during the season in front of the public, to show the GP and media that AT have been doing work on the ride to ensure that an incident like this never happens again. The ride then quietly re-opens early next season. (imo least likely option!)
 
I can't be 100% sure that there is one in the station , they are lined up as if there is one in the station but the station block could of been left empty for som reason.
 
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