[The Smiler] Construction Updates / Ride Speculation Part 2 *SPOILER FREE*

[Scott]

Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2

I severely doubt there would be any health and safety requirements regarding the lift considering Saw at Thorpe doesn't have any fins on the vertical lift, which is a park also run by Merlin. The only H&S reason I can think of would be if the space is too tight around the ride for a cherry picker to fit and safely evac people from a vertical car.

 

[John]

Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2

My guess is that they'll have stronger magnets towards the bottom of the lift and weaker ones further up, allowing for a controlled descent at relatively high speed before slowing down at the base of the lift.

I thought the magnets were on the train, and the fins were just a metal plate? Can they use thinner plates to achieve the same result?

There are several ways of doing it, size and spacing of the fins is the simplest. A common method is to vary the composition of the fins - using more or less copper to alter the strength of the eddy currents and therefore braking force.

 

[BigDave]

Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2

These are bigger cars and Gerts have probably realised that evacuating more people using the same cherry picker idea just wouldn't work. This is why they have probably came up with this better evacuation procedure.

 

[delta79]

Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2

could this control rollback for evacuation be the worlds first element? then something else can be world beating. and that would clear up the mixed marketing.

 

[Rob]

Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2

could this control rollback for evacuation be the worlds first element? then something else can be world beating. and that would clear up the mixed marketing.

Even though it may technically be a worlds first (I don't know), that wouldn't be it. Any worlds first we hear about will have to be marketable and that really isn't!

 

[Alastair]

Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2

could this control rollback for evacuation be the worlds first element? then something else can be world beating. and that would clear up the mixed marketing.

Yeah, I can just see the adverts. "WORLD'S FIRST FOR 2013: If the ride breaks down, you now won't have to be manhandled out of the train 60ft in the air on a cherry picker! Retain your dignity on The Smiler!"

 

[Withnail]

Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2

However a traditional anti-roll-back system doesn't have any effect on the power to run the lift at all (well it's negligible) and the only advantage of the newer system is that the train can be lowered if the chain snaps (something that I don't believe happens very often) or rolled back in an evacuation situation (again how often is this needed?)

In terms of how often is a vertical lift evacuation needed, I believe that it has never happened on Saw with guests riding. They'll have practised it obviously but they've never need to do it for real as it were. However Dave is right in saying vertical lift evacuations can be a bit of a nightmare, here is a photo of an evacuation on Huracan at Belantis:

Doesn't look fun for anyone! So I do think being able to reverse the train on the vertical lift is a really neat idea and probably worth it just in case it's needed.

Yep - I think this is compounded by the fact that once The Smiler is finished, the tight track layout will mean that it'd be very difficult to get a cherry picker close to the vertical lift.

 

[smudge]

Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2

The reason Gerst are doing this ( the mag fins ) can't be because of the noise. Modern anti-roll backs actually use magnets to hold the 'catch?' up whilst the train is rolling upwards/forwards so basically the 'catch?' will make no noise at all.

I think that the lift is not accessible by a cherry picker could be a contributing factor, but this is a good step forward for Gerst's vertical lifts. I know it rarely happens, but seeing a vertical lift evac must put a LOT of people off riding and get extremely bad press.

Also I agree with Tim's point that energy will be wasted pushing the trains ( at any speed ) through the magnets, unless either the magnets retract or there is a way to make the magnets only effective when the train goes backwards through them?

** waits for one of the, surprisingly many, magnet gurus to explain **

 

[Tim]

Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2

If they are permanent magnets (which they'd have to be so as to work in the case of a power failure then no they can't work in a single direction).

Of course this is all just speculation without putting any numbers to it. I'm sure that Gerstlauer have done the necessary calculations and if they've found the lift should be design like this then obviously it's not a problem.

 

[mattsteveal]

Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2

Isn't it likely that the fins are actually retractable (I'm sure this has already been mentioned) they would only need to be retracted when the train went up the lift so would always be "out" until a train came to it.
same with the lift chain itself, it only needs to be on when the train gets there, there's power for the chain so power could also be used to retract the fins.

we haven't seen enough pics to see if they are retractable but I think its possible, and the fins would obviously be "out" now as there's currently no power.

 

[delta79]

Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2

could this control rollback for evacuation be the worlds first element? then something else can be world beating. and that would clear up the mixed marketing.

Yeah, I can just see the adverts. "WORLD'S FIRST FOR 2013: If the ride breaks down, you now won't have to be manhandled out of the train 60ft in the air on a cherry picker! Retain your dignity on The Smiler!"

I was think more of "The Smile, A coaster for people scared of cherry pickers"

 

[ChocolateStarfish]

Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2

I can't tell from the photos but they look more like friction brake fins to me.

Anyway I heard a rumour today 18th.

 

[Rob]

Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2

Looking at ATG's photos, the final turn is currently being put in place and some supports are up for the drops. I also noticed that some of the lift chain has been delivered to the site so it looks like this may be installed to the vertical lift imminently.

 

[Rollercoasters4Life]

Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2

/\ Here are said pictures -

Final turn into the brake run:

Two new supports have been put up, one for each inverted drop:

More fencing work going on:

Touch up work going on:

Nice picture of the Vertical Lift drop out:

Close up of the mechanisms on the Vertical Lift:

All images taken from The Alton Towers Guide Facebook page

 

[RustyRider]

Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2

Wow, it's gunna pick up alot of speed coming off that lift in a short space of time....it may surprise us like nemesis did the first time!

 

[Rollercoasters4Life]

Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2

(Image from Mark (@Roodlesnouter))

So the bend is nearly complete, just a straight connection to the brake run then that section is complete.

 

[TheMan]

Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2

This is more Gerstlauer like!!

 

[Rollercoasters4Life]

Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2

Two more pictures from Roodlesnouter -

Work continuing on the final turn:

Work also continues on The Giggler leg:

 

[Mi-Nigle]

Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2

I've been puzzling over this for a while, are the letters on each leg 3D or printed/painted directly onto the sheet? On some of the photos it looks like they're tangible letters and on others not so much.

 

[Sammy]

Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2

I've been puzzling over this for a while, are the letters on each leg 3D or printed/painted directly onto the sheet? On some of the photos it looks like they're tangible letters and on others not so much.

I had been wondering the same, however having seen it in the flesh on Saturday, the letting is indeed 3D/raised texture! Which is great, it's the little things like that, that are really making the Marmaliser such a brilliant piece of theming!