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The Smiler - General Discussion

Rode The Smiler a few times during my visit on Thursday and Friday. All rides weren't really rough, a few jolts in places but it was good.

This has probably been mentioned before, but why couldn't the train that is behind the one that is loading be unloading at the same time? Surely this would increase throughput.
 
Danza91 said:
This has probably been mentioned before, but why couldn't the train that is behind the one that is loading be unloading at the same time? Surely this would increase throughput.
Click to expand...

No real explanation why an offload was never installed....
 
Danza91 said:
This has probably been mentioned before, but why couldn't the train that is behind the one that is loading be unloading at the same time? Surely this would increase throughput.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure it would increase throughput, considering the air gates open almost as soon as the restraints are released, and then they need checking, and by the time they're all checked, all riders who have just come off have already left the station!
 
It'd be seconds saved per each train (before the restraints are opened) so it wouldn't be a huge amount, but it would prevent having to sit on the brakes with those disgusting smelling restraints.
 
The smiler is nowhere near rough in my opinion is it because I'm of a smaller structure or am I immune to pain? No rides hurt me, i don't find the ultimate or any vekoma rough, the only ride I've had pain on was hero because I got my shoulder stuck and my face almost hit the cage because stupid me ran after the train and jumped straight up with my face almost hitting the metal and almost breaking my shoulders because I was a step too high and ended up squashed by the thing which comes over your body!
 
It was running 5 trains these past few days...

Train 4 rattles like hell throughout...

That Cobra Roll exit needs re-profiling cos it's awful...

Projectors are ever so slightly out of alignment...

My first ride on Monday was quite smooth though bar the Cobra Roll... So variation and luck is still the name of the game...
 
It certainly seems like train 4 is the worst of the lot. It was the roughest on opening weekend this season and it was train 4 I rode this weekend and once again it was awful. I've never known a coaster have such variation between its trains.

:)
 
Last Saturday we rode train 3, and for me it was probably the smoothest ride I've had since opening. It really is a game of roulette when waiting in the air gates :p
 
I think I was on the same train as @Rob on Saturday with train 4, and you could tell it was going to be a horrible ride after the first indoor barrel roll.
 
I was on Train 4 on Saturday, and it was probably the smoothest ride I've had on it! Train 2, on the other hand, was horrid!
 
So It looks like the train roulette is here to stay with roughest train smoothest now and smoothest train now roughest :S
 
Unfortunately I wasn't able to get a proper look at the train number I had on Saturday, but it was ridiculously smooth compared to past rides. Heck, I hardly even noticed the cobra roll jolt.
 
I managed to get 15 rides today as I had platinum fastrack. A Smile assistant was saying it was the busiest day of the season so far. Looks like train roulette is really here to stay. I never managed to notice any of the train numbers, but one or a couple are definitely really rough. I have shoulder bruises from the jolts. Due to me having a weird leg proportionate to my torso, my torso had a massive gap to get thrown around in and it wasn't pleasant at all on the bad trains. Even had to get manually offloaded on the brake run after it broke down. Went tech at least 4 times over the course of the day.
 
The train roughness is certainly not just noticed by us picky enthusiasts! Went today with friends, first ride was absolutely fine but second time everyone complained about the roughness and pain. In fact, one friend had black bruises on their shoulders.


On another note, Gerstlauer OTSR's are the worst coaster restraint I've ever encountered. I have to do my old Submission trick and hold onto the bottom of them and push up throughout the ride to avoid my legs being squashed to death.
 
It's not as simple as there being good trains and bad trains. A lot of the roughness is a result of the wheels, which mean that it can vary between rows and even between positions in a row - if a wheel on the right is out of shape then people on the left aren't as badly affected, though they'll probably still notice increased roughness.
 
Indeed it's a shame there is such variety in the roughness of the train, when you get a smooth ride it's definately in my top 10, a rough train and struggles to make my top 30.
 
Another thing I noticed yesterday; I rode twice on different trains. Thankfully neither train was the really bad one but they did both rattle their way around. However on both rides the first half (bar the first inverted drop) was noticeably smoother than the second half. It's probably down to the fact that the second half is more intense but even the ride itself doesn't seem to be consistent! I had trains 1 and 5 yesterday. Either train 2 or 3 must be the smooth one although I've not had it for a long while.

On and also there is a disgusting pool of algae covered water in the pit at the moment. I'll try and post a photo of it later but it really needs sorting!

EDIT:

Here is said photo, taken from the queue prison line:

10346206_10154220909895343_390523594259870209_n.jpg


:)
 
Rob said:
On and also there is a disgusting pool of algae covered water in the pit at the moment. I'll try and post a photo of it later but it really needs sorting!

EDIT:

Here is said photo, taken from the queue prison line:
Click to expand...

You are mistaken, it is theme they have added recently to bring the Smiler up to CBeebies land standard.
 
Would it not be possible to dig up some patches of concrete in that pit and put in some landscaping? It would surely help absorb rainwater and improve aesthetics.

They really have to do something because that is simply inexcusably bad for a place claiming to be a theme park. And no, those cheap vinyl letters on the concrete walls don't improve anything.
 
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