[The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

[Bear]

I've seen that. Very interesting as it all ties into why the whole construction has been delayed!

How? As far as I'm aware it's been the rubbish weather that's pushed everything back! Although, if this is going in that concrete channel after the barrel roll, they would probably have to wait for this bit to be in place before adding the next sections of track in.

 

[Benzin]

The photo for those who wish to peruse it further...

Team Edit - Image removed to prevent any legal threats.

Curious...

 

[BigDave]

A lot of that looks like pneumatics probably for the transfer track. Seriously doubt it's anything overly important.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Josh]

I wondered what was being delivered yesterday, it was taking them ages to get it out of the lorry. Sure looks interesting

 

[Spark]

My point being we don't know what this does, could this be part of the worlds first?

 

[Josh]

It's also curious that this is the first bit of track we've seen that has been covered up (or at least attempted to be covered up )

 

[Wilsy]

Pretty dark in the photos so hard to make out any detail, must have been taken early this morning when someone was going to work.

It probably looks a lot more exciting than it actually is.

 

[GaryH]

Looks like its doing something "under" the track - hmmm, maybe if you do the half the ride facing frontwards, then this "rotates" the car and you do the rest of the ride facing the other way?

 

[Rob]

I had a good look at all of the track when I was there the other week and this piece seems a lot more complex in terms of all the mechanisms on it that any of piece of track already there. So whatever it is I'd imagine it is more than just brakes or that like. I'd hazard a guess at it being immediately before one of the lifts. It's interesting that they've covered it up as well, either they don't want us to see it or there's parts to it that they don't want being exposed to the elements.

 

[BigT]

That's trick track, the frame supporting it is temporary.

Looks to me like its going to bolt onto another frame of some sort.
This could well be the centre of said washing machine.

 

[Bear]

This could well be the centre of said washing machine.

Yeah definitely!

 

[Alastair]

Looks like its doing something "under" the track - hmmm, maybe if you do the half the ride facing frontwards, then this "rotates" the car and you do the rest of the ride facing the other way?

No, please, please no!

 

[James]

My guess is that it will be either just after the barrel rolls (or whatever we call those elements) in the station/before the first lift. Or it will be before (or actually for) the second lift hill.

I think it looks far more exciting than it actually is. There's a lot of supporting framework around it which is making it look a bit bigger than it is.

It's not for the washing machine. The washing machine is not happening. :

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry to burst a few people's bubbles, but it's just your bog standard brake section. The framework underneath is for the ride's magnetic brakes. It's a section that raises and lowers a magnetic fin based on the roll speed of the train.

It can be seen here on Rage.

 

[siralgenon]

Sorry to burst a few people's bubbles, but it's just your bog standard brake section. The framework underneath is for the ride's magnetic brakes. It's a section that raises and lowers a magnetic fin based on the roll speed of the train.

It can be seen here on Rage.

The picture of The Smiler, isn't the same as whats on Rage, similar but it has a lot more parts

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry to burst a few people's bubbles, but it's just your bog standard brake section. The framework underneath is for the ride's magnetic brakes. It's a section that raises and lowers a magnetic fin based on the roll speed of the train.

It can be seen here on Rage.

The picture of The Smiler, isn't the same as whats on Rage, similar but it has a lot more parts

That's wrong. You're looking too much into it. The hardware on the bottom of that track is your standard raising brake fin, and then there is a normal friction brake also. That's all the hardware I can see.

 

[BigT]

It's not the same as rage look at bottom, there are shock absorbing discs and look at the mounting points.

This would be exactly like I would expect for the middle of a washing machine element. Brake fins would be needed also to lock the train in position.

Whether its liked or not, more evidence is starting to appear supporting the washing machine theory.

 

[Alastair]

It's not the same as rage look at bottom, there are shock absorbing discs and look at the mounting points.

This would be exactly like I would expect for the middle of a washing machine element. Brake fins would be needed also to lock the train in position.

Whether its liked or not, more evidence is starting to appear supporting the washing machine theory.

I don't think standard brake fins, be they magnetic or friction, would be sufficient to lock a 5+ tonne train in place whilst it inverts at a standstill. There'd need to be some other mechanism.

 

[Andrew]

It's not the same as rage look at bottom, there are shock absorbing discs and look at the mounting points.

This would be exactly like I would expect for the middle of a washing machine element. Brake fins would be needed also to lock the train in position.

Whether its liked or not, more evidence is starting to appear supporting the washing machine theory.

What evidence?!

All we have is a lot of concrete, some track, and what looks to be a brake mechanism! There's next to no space for a washing machine element to fit on the track judging by the track which has already been placed.

That looks pretty similar to the break section on Rage, and the Smiler probably needs a more complex piece of mechanism as there is less room for one, and also the train is probably travelling faster.

 

[Rob]

It's not the same as rage look at bottom, there are shock absorbing discs and look at the mounting points.

This would be exactly like I would expect for the middle of a washing machine element. Brake fins would be needed also to lock the train in position.

Whether its liked or not, more evidence is starting to appear supporting the washing machine theory.

Say what now? More evidence? If there was going to be a washing machine element, I'm pretty sure it would be delivered directly to the site ready assembled for a start, a la Thirteen's drop. Not left in a car park.

And how can a piece of track with several mechanisms on it be evidence of rotating track anyway? Do brakes automatically mean rotating track now? This ride has two lifts, therefore there will be lots of brake and pre-lift sections of track that will need lots of mechanisms on them. So that's probably all this is, either brakes or pre lift track. Or if we are very lucky it could be linked to LIMs.