• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

The Smiler - General Discussion

james.e.hyde said:
So do we know if any overhauls have been done to the Smiler yet over winter?

Yes, it's been taken apart and shipped back to Germany! ;)

In all seriousness, nope. Although I'm sure that there is some work going on.

:)
 
Think it's having some work, I know it was planned that it was getting some but we probably won't get details.
 
One would hope they're busy fixing the jolts and the entry into the Cobra Roll primarily...

In amongst giving it some actual drainage that works...
 
Well the ground work needs sorting out also just general touch ups and improvements
 
Some more drainage would be nice. I'm not sure how fiddly it is to create more drainage, but if it involves major groundwork I doubt they will bother.

I'd assume concrete is being dug out an replaced in some areas too (a bit like what they were doing before Scarefest with some supports).
 
Improved drainage would be lovely, though I'm not entirely sure how they would do this without re-laying most of the concrete in the pit at a slight slope - so I doubt that will happen.

I would hope they would go some way to fixing the jolts and also looking at the various wobbly supports that were spotted on various occasions last season. It would also be good if they sorted out the rides wheels to get the balance totally correct so that stalling is no longer a risk.

I'd also like for there to be a deep clean of the pit itself plus the maintenance of the theming down there. Those chevrons were filthy or peeling by November and Mr Smiley had totally washed off under the knot.

What actually gets done though? That's a mystery...
 
there is a way they can add drainage without ripping up the entire pads and regrading them. It is drain channels running to a point where a drain pipe has been fitted into the pad by cutting a channel and fitting them into it.

For people that don't know what a drain channel is here is a photo of one.
drain_zpsdfb97541.jpeg
 
What it needs, is a total overhaul. To get this to the standard it really should be at, the track needs sorting out, the supports fixing, the draining doing, the theme replaced/fixed up in many areas.

I found it very strange the the projectors had actually moved a good inch down inside the building on fixed mounts, how exactly does that happen? It was really beginning to look tatty after only 3/4s of a season at most. Paint or do something with that concrete too! Speakers had broke, monitors had stopped working outside - after a wet, blustery winter that could yet get snow etc, if they don't work hard on it come opening it will look awful.

The Smiler is actually a fantastic ride, and a world record breaker (yes I know, but it is), it deserves to be shiny, polished up and everything it wasn't this season.

Pull your damn socks up Merlin and take some pride in your attractions. Give Towers the budget to put this all right.
 
delta79 said:
there is a way they can add drainage without ripping up the entire pads and regrading them. It is drain channels running to a point where a drain pipe has been fitted into the pad by cutting a channel and fitting them into it.

For people that don't know what a drain channel is here is a photo of one.
drain_zpsdfb97541.jpeg
Thing is, they do have drains like that in the pit - they just don't work. I'm fairly sure one is at the top of a slope rather than the bottom :/
 
Scott said:
delta79 said:
there is a way they can add drainage without ripping up the entire pads and regrading them. It is drain channels running to a point where a drain pipe has been fitted into the pad by cutting a channel and fitting them into it.

For people that don't know what a drain channel is here is a photo of one.
drain_zpsdfb97541.jpeg
Thing is, they do have drains like that in the pit - they just don't work. I'm fairly sure one is at the top of a slope rather than the bottom :/

Yep! The one nearest the indoor queue building has a slope leading up to it. Rendering it completely useless :p
 
Just basic things need fixing, by the end of the season the TV outside the station didn't work, speakers near the station didn't work, the big speaker in the corner near the first lift hill didn't work, the speaker on top of the shopping container sounded like it was going to explode at any moment. One of the speaks on the break run had fallen off. The list goes on. All of which are basic things, and surely should be covered by a guarantee of some sort to work!
 
And do something with the indoor section. It's Air tunnel v2. Sandbags everywhere, puddles of water, ineffective strobes because of the light leaking in.

Oh and filling up the smoke machine wouldn't go a miss.

Sent from my GT-I8190N using Tapatalk 2
 
I think the indoor section would look amazing if the track passed through a series of 'walls' alternating solid yellow and solid black, build on the 'hypnotic' theme whilst at the same time making the opening section a bit more eventful.

I don't know how effective it would be depending on the safety envelope, whether the holes would have to be so big that it removes the effect.
 
They have surely got to do something with the indoor section. You can't rely on sandbags stacked up against the building forever! And you also cant cope with a lake inside your ride :p

Hopefully they will sort the drains out in the queue line, the pit and the indoor section. Fill in all the gaps around the indoor section and then turn the smoke back on! The strobe and indoor section would be so much more effective then.
 
Dave said:
Stevie said:
Oh and filling up the smoke machine wouldn't go a miss.

The smoke machine was removed as it was causing problems elsewhere in the building.

What? Like... it was leaking into the station? Or something else?
 
Tom.B said:
Dave said:
Stevie said:
Oh and filling up the smoke machine wouldn't go a miss.

The smoke machine was removed as it was causing problems elsewhere in the building.

What? Like... it was leaking into the station? Or something else?

Not got details but think it was more the baggage and indoor queue, it only was on for a few weeks then they removed it.
 
I'm not be being 'Merlin bashing' now, but surely that's down to poor design and lack of thought.

When I rode it on opening day, the indoor section was really disorientating. The drop in the smoky darkness with strobes masking the barrel roll. It was a great start to the ride, now not so much.

Sent from my GT-I8190N using Tapatalk 2
 
Top