Alton Towers | The Smiler | Gerstlauer Infinity

[SaiyanHajime]

Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

I love reading the Facebook page. The general public defending Alton for once. It's funny how, when something happens that is in no way the park's fault, people rip the **** out of them and there's a swarm of enthusiasts defending. "THE QUEUES ARE RIDICULOUS!" And now that something happens that is clearly 100% Alton's fault, they are defending.

I think it's weird just how concerned people are about safety. I know it's because they don't understand that, whatever the issue, it's not safety with regard to the ACTUAL ride, but rather evacuation procedure or something and some such... But I still think it's odd JUST how concerned the GP always are about safety.

Also, compare this with when Zufari was delayed. Because Zufari wasn't a big ride, but perceived as "just a tour", none of the public assumed it was a H&S issue but rather that they'd been lazy and not finished aesthetics.

 

[furie]

Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

Confirmed closed all bank holiday.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

 

[marc]

Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

Still don't see how this is H&S though.

Trims have been added, trains taken off the track etc.

This seems more like problems with the trains.

Who knows though.

 

[The Grape Wizard]

Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

Well they've got a great big flippin' crane in today so somethings going down.

 

[SaiyanHajime]

Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

Still don't see how this is H&S though.

Trims have been added, trains taken off the track etc.

This seems more like problems with the trains.

Who knows though.

Rumours floating about that it's to do with evacuation procedures, nothing to do with the actual ride itself. Dunno how true that is, but it makes sense.

For example, if a fire exit on an existing ride is found to be "blocked", that ride cannot open until the blockage is cleared. Have you ever been at Chessington's Vampire where they have to run an disabled riders train and the operator will say to the station that it's "because they are blocking the fire exit"? I'm assuming that's why they've changed the disabled entrance this year?

I highly doubt that there's anything wrong with the ride itself, but again, I'm only trying to make sense of a rumour.

 

[marc]

Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

They are installing loads more fencing as well.

It's just hard to know what's true and what's not.

 

[furie]

Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

Pretty sure X-Sector isn't closed to clear exits. It's a major thing going on. The crane earlier was apparently adding a car back onto the track. Who knows WTF is going on...

 

[tks]

Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

The ride valleyed on Friday so yeh. Calling BS on the "Health & Safety" reasons people love to throw about being the reason it hasn't opened.

 

[SaiyanHajime]

Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

Pretty sure X-Sector isn't closed to clear exits. It's a major thing going on. The crane earlier was apparently adding a car back onto the track. Who knows WTF is going on...

It was an example that it could be something really '"silly".

I think on top of whatever "major" reason there is for the delay, they've simply not finished landscaping etc.

A Gerstlaurer valleying is hardly strange. It's been cold and windy, Saw valleyed twice the other week.

 

[tks]

Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

Saw <3 Having to get a crane in and close the X Sector will be a bit of a faff if it does this often.

And yeh the area looked dreadful on Thursday. Lots of construction fences still up everywhere, nowhere near being polished or even being an acceptable mess.

 

[Smithy]

Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

Could it be that the trims they've added took too much speed off and it valleyed before the second lift? It'd explain the crane lifting cars onto track, and the 'general teething' issues are likely just to be queueline worries. Which, if so, is annoying as there's no way they were ready to open on Thursday using the queue under the ride and they'd have known that well before Wednesday.

 

[marc]

Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

I also thought to myself they will need netting if they are going to put stuff under the ride. There's inversions etc things will fall out of pockets.

 

[SaiyanHajime]

Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

Yeah, from what you guys who were there on Thurs are saying, they simply weren't finished. Any "unforeseen" problems are a convenient cover up.

 

[T0M]

Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

It's just not ready and they're behind yet again, it's as simple as that - work is going on in a number of areas.

Construction of the queue lines
Welding
Painting
Grinding of track
Placing of trains on the track (possibly lifted off after a stall)

I don't think operational training and other elements of testing are even complete. Health & Safety claims are just lies.

I'll give you 3/1 odds on a 31 May or earlier opening haha.

 

[Jordanovichy]

Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

I have to say, Sparky's pic of the close up of the brakes is absolutely...well this is a family site so I can't say but it begins with O

a rude word beginning with o?? are you sure?

Indeed I am

Really annoyed The Smiler is still closed until at least Tuesday. ANNOYING

 

[lightning101]

Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

I think they've said teething problems as its the smiler.
Nothing more than a pun. I think they're just not finished.

 

[Swat]

Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

These photo's were posted over on http://forum.towerstimes.co.uk/ by hursty.

They were taken today and show trains being put (back?) onto the track or maybe new trains all together. There also appears to be a lot of wear on the track, they are also installing mesh roof's to sections of the queue, this could mean H&S wouldn't let it open without any form of protection from falling items.

Because of the trains being put onto the track and the rumors of it valleying it seems to be a bigger problem than just H&S.

The following photo's are again from TowerTimes Member Roodlesnouter

There are a load more pictures over on TTF on the construction thread on page 496.

 

[owentaylor121]

Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

That's not really a big deal that the paint has came off where the wheels go round is it? That normal for a coaster.

 

[SaiyanHajime]

Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

I think that's normal.

Sent from my HTC Wildfire S A510e using Tapatalk 2

 

[tks]

Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

Pretty sure they would always have planned to put up some kind of overhead protection anyway... This is Merlin. They aren't completely stupid. Despite their best efforts to prove otherwise.