[The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

[Josh]

What a load of rubbish! I bet this person has no connection whatsoever with Merlin, and he is simply making things up to stir discussion, and its working. But I for one no longer believe anything he says.

As Prometheus has said in the post above, pretty much everything that he has claimed about the ride so far is complete nonsense and was not true, apart from maybe the inversion count. And that now he says that the washing machine will be there when we all know pretty much for sure that its not, has solidified my belief that he doesn't know anything. [/rant over]

Also, if I find out any info and I tell my girlfriend, I would explicitly tell her not to tell anyone else. If I was his boyfriend I would've killed him by now...

 

[Jonathan]

Also, if I find out any info and I tell my girlfriend, I would explicitly tell her not to tell anyone else. If I was his boyfriend I would've killed him by now...

Or you could just not say anything.

 

[Josh]

Also, if I find out any info and I tell my girlfriend, I would explicitly tell her not to tell anyone else. If I was his boyfriend I would've killed him by now...

Or you could just not say anything.

I try, but she beats it out of me

 

[Dave]

There is no washing machine element, TowersStreet have checked and double checked this point and it does not exist.

They have repeated a number of rumours, some of these have by chance been correct (but if you go through a years worth of these topics there will be 30 people who guessed things correctly) and they have got lots wrong.

I just can't see someone who is in a relationship with a Merlin employee putting their partner in such a sticky situation. Everyone involved in The Smiler has had to sign confidentiality agreements, they would be putting their other half at huge risk. This leads me to believe this is all a bit suspicious.

As for 14 inversions if they are right so will about 50 other people who have speculated on that point myself included. And they contradict themselves saying the plans are accurate yet its 14 inversions as there is NO chance they can fit 5 inversions in that building.

As for the game, you can see from the screenshots that the track is as the plans show, yet what interests me is the fact if you go on park you can add secret elements to the track as you play..... We will see.

 

[spin_doctor]

Dave, you come across really confident there. I know, you can't be truly confident, the washing machine element does exist. To be fair, my boyfriend doesn't know as much as you would think. Most of what he told me was speculation within the company in the early stages. I have been wrong about the trains. And I was told the ride will have a beyond vertical drop, I guessed indoors as the plans didnt show a vertical drop outside. Now understandably, you can say, well he was wrong in the past, he could be wrong about the washing machine element. Imagine working for Merlin, the worlds first isnt revealed as part of everyones job, but it comes out along the grapevine because its secret, people love secrets. And I had the opportunity to play the game on someones ipad the other evening and the layout is the same as the plans.

So those of you who are certain the layout will differ. Your wrong. The washing machine element exists. For certain. Im making this post only as a reference point for when all is revealed then you may learn that you can never be really sure about anything. This forum doesnt want the washing machine element to exist, because towertimes revealed it sooo early on. You would love nothing more than to discredit the site. Try to be a little less narrow minded and take a more professional approach to running a site and you may look a lot less silly in the long run. This site is always making immature jibes at towerstimes and towerstimes never says a bad word about this site. Think on. And get excited because this ride is going to be amazing. Dont let your bitterness at the fact that towerstimes was right all along impair your judgement of what is going to be an amazing ride.

 

[Danny]

Has it occurred to you that people don't want the washing machine element for belief of personal discomfort, the vomit inducing effect it will inevitably have on some people or other factors due to the ride experience? This isn't about the 'which fansite is better' jibes.

The fact is the ride layout itself is going to uphold it being a perfect ride. It doesn't need any sort of 'washing machine' to make it an amazing ride. I'm personally 50/50 when it comes to the washing machine. Part of me wants to see it so Towers can hold the inversion record for many years to come, whilst another part of believes that it may eventually ruin what is looking to be a spectacular product.

 

[Josh]

I have 2 points to make:


1st:

he could be wrong about the washing machine element.

The washing machine element exists. For certain.

A bit contradictory there, its either you're certain or you're not certain...


And then there's this:

This forum doesnt want the washing machine element to exist, because towertimes revealed it sooo early on. You would love nothing more than to discredit the site. Try to be a little less narrow minded and take a more professional approach to running a site and you may look a lot less silly in the long run. This site is always making immature jibes at towerstimes and towerstimes never says a bad word about this site. Think on. And get excited because this ride is going to be amazing. Dont let your bitterness at the fact that towerstimes was right all along impair your judgement of what is going to be an amazing ride.

Now I'm not speaking for the forum here, but im sure in no way do we want the element to not be true simply to discredit another site, most of us simply say it because we believe it to not be true, myself included.

And if TowersTimes are so sure that the element will in fact be there, why have they removed all traces of it from their site? And are now saying it was simply 'speculation'?

And as for the comment about the two sites constantly bickering, the staff from both sites never say a bad word about the other sites, its the community members who make immature jibes. Including yourself, as you have just said that this site needs to "Try to be a little less narrow minded and take a more professional approach to running a site and you may look a lot less silly in the long run."

That is all.

 

[Poisson]

This forum doesnt want the washing machine element to exist, because towertimes revealed it sooo early on. You would love nothing more than to discredit the site. Try to be a little less narrow minded and take a more professional approach to running a site and you may look a lot less silly in the long run. This site is always making immature jibes at towerstimes and towerstimes never says a bad word about this site. Think on. And get excited because this ride is going to be amazing. Dont let your bitterness at the fact that towerstimes was right all along impair your judgement of what is going to be an amazing ride.

I have zero problem with it being revealed by TowersTimes*. I however believe a washing machine element would be detrimental to the ride. I will let this ride be amazing, why wouldn't I? I am a theme park enthusiast and I love Alton Towers, so why would I not want this ride to be amazing? You are assuming we would dislike a ride simply due to another fansite revealing an element before this one did? At the end of the day, it makes little difference who reveals it in my opinion. 'I would nothing more than to discredit the site?' Erm no, I really couldn't care less about discrediting them. Do you know what I would love more? A truly world class roller coaster built by Gerstlaurer at Alton Towers that is a great ride and doesn't deteriorate with age. This ride has the potential to be a classic like Nemesis or Oblivion and I would dearly like it to live up to its Secret Weapon tag.

Right then, onto your 'source'. I don't know Him/Her or you but if they have got things wrong before is there a chance of that happening again? They might have incorrect info. Dave has every right to be confident as this 'source' doesn't sound reliable or trustworthy! Now this is not a slight on your 'source' as I, as previously mentioned, do not know them. I don't speak for the entire forum either but am evaluating your source on previous releases and it doesn't look good from this end.

Also, this may be slightly off topic, but I am pretty annoyed with TT but don't ever let that blind me. I am on several forums for various things but don't let inter-forum wars blind me.

So to sum it up: Yes I am annoyed with TT, but that isn't why I will question it. Your 'source' is what I am questioning.

(* I do have some issues with some previous decisions made by certain people there, but that doesn't cloud me)

 

[spin_doctor]

It won't be uncomfortable. Do you think they would spend millions on a ride that was in any way uncomfortable? The retraints will most likely be neoprene like the ones on air. People should be more positive and less fussy.

Also, it's easy to say 'it isn't about which site is better than the other'. But the facts remain, this site does throw jibes and it really lets it down.

Additionally, I wasn't talking to the whole towers street community, just Dave, who is simply wrong.

 

[Poisson]

It won't be uncomfortable. Do you think they would spend millions on a ride that was in any way uncomfortable? The retraints will most likely be neoprene like the ones on air. People should be more positive and less fussy.

Also, it's easy to say 'it isn't about which site is better than the other'. But the facts remain, this site does throw jibes and it really lets it down.

Additionally, I wasn't talking to the whole towers street community, just Dave, who is simply wrong.

So the site itself has grown a brain and a mouth and throws jabs?

I personally think, it would be a bad idea and make the ride a vomit comet

 

[Josh]

Also, it's easy to say 'it isn't about which site is better than the other'. But the facts remain, this site does throw jibes and it really lets it down.

The TowersTimes community is just as bad for immature jibes, if not worse. In no way when we have been discussing this element have we ever said "TT said it, therefore it can't be true"

Additionally, I wasn't talking to the whole towers street community, just Dave, who is simply wrong.

Well then we can all say that you are simply wrong.

 

[Craig]

Whilst I can appreciate people wanting to discuss the differences of opinion on the elements of the ride between different sites, let's try and stay on topic and not turn this into a TT bashing topic. Dave was simply pointing out what has been found out, I see nothing criticising of TT so please don't turn it into that.

If you have feedback on how TowersStreet is run, please use the guest services forum rather than this topic .

 

[James]

Edit: Wrote this before I saw Craig's post, apologies.

Why is this even being debated again?!

The washing machine element will never be happening, really I'm not joking, I'm not lying. It will not be happening. Why this keeps coming back up I do not know. It's pretty evident on the construction site that it is not happening. No hardware on site, nothing seen through the trees. TowersTimes have removed all traces of the element from their SW7 site, none of their team members are saying it will happen now and they are not covering a secret element on their pictures. All the evidence is right in front of our eyes!

This site is always making immature jibes at towerstimes and towerstimes never says a bad word about this site. Think on. And get excited because this ride is going to be amazing. Dont let your bitterness at the fact that towerstimes was right all along impair your judgement of what is going to be an amazing ride.

You've completely contradicted yourself there by making an immature jibe towards the members on here, nice one! No one has said this will be a bad ride either? If anything the whole community (this extends to all fan sites) has been anything but positive with SW7.

The TT vs TS drama ended ages ago and quite frankly, I find it pathetic that people on both sides use this as a defence mechanism in debates. We're all enthusiasts, we're all the same people with a same love for the same place in Staffordshire. Why people have to act like two year olds in a playground and throw insults at each other I'll never know.

 

[Dave]

I'm incredibly used to being wrong so i wont lose any sleep over it if i am. That said i am still as confident as ever that the washing machine effect wont be happening. But the whole point of discussion forums if for people to throw out opposing ideas and see what happens so i have no issue with you saying i'm wrong Spindoctor.

We will know late April early May anyway.

 

[Fredward]

I would of thought if Gerstlauer wanted to do a washing machine element they would have done it first with their standard 4x2 cars, lighter cars, mean lighter track can be used, meaning less machinery will have to be used on a spinning barrel device.

The reason Th13teen has lighter cars not capable of the manoeuvres the other Intamin coasters is because of the drop mechanism.

That's my 2 cents.


I also think the washing machine is a terrible idea, seems very gimmicky and only worth it if it only did one rotation before continuing, otherwise it would ruin the flow of the ride and possibly just make it nauseating and an inferior ride on the whole.

But I don't know since I haven't ridden the ride.

 

[Osaka12]

Wow, Decent partner you are dropping your other half in it, who (according to you) holds a pretty awesome job at merlin... Why do it? Also I have been a member here since December and have never seen any bashing on either TT or TS.

i just don't get why you would be so keen as to spread romour about speculated elements when you risk your spouse losing a job. lol, crazy imo

 

[Josh]

I'm confused... :-\

Here we have a picture of a piece of track that has some brake pads on it:

This leads me to believe that each car will have a set of fins underneath, which will slot through the pads and be slowed down or stopped, as I assume most Gerstlauers do.



But then I have just seen this photo posted on TowersStreet's FB page, which shows a piece of track with what look like brake fins on it:

Now this makes it look like each car will have a set of brake pads underneath, and work the opposite way round to what I just described.

So which way round is it? Hence my confusion... :-\


I'm not very good at noticing LIM or LSM launch magnets, but does anyone think the second photo may be part of a launch? They look too close together to be a set of brake fins.

Hmmm I don't know

 

[Dave]

Gerst use both magnetic fins and friction brakes on their coasters. The magnetic fins are located at the opposite side of the track to the friction brakes.

Intamin are the only manufacturer to pretty much completely stop using friction brakes (they use friction wheels to hold a train if they need to).

LIMS are usually white in colour and bulkier.

 

[DiogoJ42]

They look like magnetic brake fins. They can only slow the train, not stop it alltogether, so you still need physical brakes for block sections.

 

[Josh]

Ahh right, I didn't realise that you could have them both at the same time, I thought it had to be one or the other