The Smiler (roller coaster)

The Smiler on the opening day

The Smiler at Alton Towers ( Alton, Staffordshire, UK) is a steel roller coaster manufacturer Gerstlauer, which is located in the X -Sector 'theme next to Oblivion. The railway was opened on 31 May 2013. The Smiler with a number of 14 inversions the roller coaster with the most rollovers world. Due to technical problems the railway was closed on July 21, 2013 for an indefinite period. The track was reopened on August 12, 2013, after the technical shortcomings, including a broken bolts have been removed again.

History

The first plans for the construction of The Smiler were submitted in December 2011 with the competent authorities. In these plans, it was apparent that the new roller coaster is designed and built by the German manufacturer Gerstlauer. Despite concerns of the residents of the communities Farley and Alton about the expected higher volume of traffic which would result from a new attraction, was granted planning permission on 15 March 2012 after a the Staffordshire Moorlands Council meeting.

Shortly after the building permit was issued, a website has been posted on the Internet, has been advertised on the for an action named Secret Weapon 7 ( SW7 ). This code name joins the list of code names of Alton Towers, so called, for example, Nemesis, codenamed SW3 and SW6 Thirteen. In about the same time the tent in which the roller coaster Black Hole was formerly located was demolished and then started with the earthworks.

End of October 2012 made ​​the first rail parts from Germany an in the park. On December 7, 2012, started the construction of the railway. At a press conference in January 2013 for the first time the name of The Smiler from the park was confirmed. On April 24, 2013 is the last piece of the so-called top-hat was used and the path thus celebrated rail circuit. The trains turned their first laps on 9 May 2013. On this day also the Guinness World Record certificate was handed over.

During a test drive for journalists came on May 17, 2013 an incident in which a train got stuck on the first lift hill. The technical problems could not be resolved in the next week, so that the original opening date on May 23, 2013 could not be met.

In the first regular weeks of operation there were repeated disruptions by roller coaster cars are stuck in front of the Batwing element. The cause of a computer error could be determined, which triggered the Reduzierbremsen too early and thereby slowed down too much the roller coaster car.

On July 21, 2013 one broke the connecting bolts of a rail track, causing a visible gap. The roller coaster was closed immediately from the park until further notice.

Ride

After the train has left the station, it passes through station building still in a descending 180 -degree left turn, which ends in a Heartline Roll. Outside the building, followed by the first of two chain lifts, with the first having a normal slope. The subsequent right-oblique descent ends in a corkscrew, followed by two opposite Dive loops. The car travels through a small airtime hill followed Batwing. After another corkscrew, the train pulls into the first block brake before the second lift hill, which has a 90 ° slope. Unusually for a Gerstlauer Euro -Fighter that this lift is not followed by 90 ° exit, but again a normal exit in a left turn, which ends as the first in a corkscrew. It close to a Sea- Serpent - roll, again a small airtime hill and a cobra roll, which seems intertwined with the Batwing. Here are two more stretched corkscrew before the train after a 180 ° left turn enters into the final brakes.

Main theming element of the ride is the so-called Marmaliser, a metal spinning structure that is surrounded by train. This 15 -meter-high structure has 5 legs, on each of which a different effect is installed to confuse visitors and causing them to smile. In addition, in the main body of a 360 ° display is installed.

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