Coaster

There could be a reason for it being filmed on the Tube though, isn't that rumoured to be part of the theme?

Of course, it is completely ludicrous but it has happened before at theme parks - staff not checking the restraints on Hydro at Oakwood for example which led to a tragedy. Whilst the situations are completely different, that shows that staff not operating rides correctly does happen, but thankfully it is very rare. It does beg the question though, if the incident on The Smiler wasn't caused by someone overriding the system, what did cause it?

It's not often that Chessington repaint things, so don't say there's no point or it won't happen again! In all seriousness though, repainting sections of the park is vital even if they aren't being used as it makes it look much cleaner and adds to the overall feel of the park. Of course they could actually use it again and get rid of the awful metal pole signage, but that's for a different debate!

Not having an override function seems sensible to me, but surely that means that the cause of the crash was more complex than someone overriding the system which is what Alton have said?

This is only speculation, but is there any possibility that this could be a description of WC16? https://www.creativeheads.net/job/15049/cg-supervisor---dark-ride-in-london

I have spoken to ride operators (not at Alton, but still relevant) and they say that it requires a lot of training and time to get to grips with the ride systems, so it's possible that the worker hadn't had the appropriate training/experience in operating rides, but obviously the only people that know whether that was the case are the worker in question and Alton. It wasn't a judgement, but it does seem strange if the human error story is to be believed - surely anyone with the relevant training would have known not to override a system when there are less trains in the station than were sent out? This is only going by what has been published in the news though, which could be inaccurate.

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/alton-towers-sack-smiler-operator-10519880 I think Merlin/Alton are partly to blame here for allowing people to operate rides who are inexperienced or haven't been trained enough, but obviously without knowing the details it's hard to judge exactly what happened.

Wonder if it'll be the drop towers from Sub Terra? Glad to see it has been approved though!

The Smiler's layout is very well designed for the space they had IMO, although it would have been better with 12 inversions and two different non-inverting elements.

For Fright Nights next year they should open the I'm a Celeb maze but with the addition of Lady C!

The Swarm only shed a bolt once though didn't it? The Smiler has definitely done it at least twice, and I also remember during construction when two pieces of track didn't line up properly. It may well be that other coasters have suffered the same or similar issues and it has just been less known-about, but I do think The Smiler has had more than a few issues during its time at the park (before this year). Agree with this, The Smiler was a huge crowd puller and a success for the park in terms of popularity before the incident in June. It is also a very good coaster IMO! I don't think it could be called reliable though, it broke down most days!

I think The Smiler is a fantastic coaster, however it can't be denied that it has caused a ridiculous amount of issues for Alton in it's two and a half years of operation, not only through the crash but the entire construction process, delayed opening and the fact that it seems to have shed bolts and guide wheels more often than any other coaster seems to. Also, I remember hearing something a while ago about the supports sinking but that may not be true!

Glad to hear the ride will reopen, and although it's horrible for those involved I think it's reassuring to hear that the ride itself was not at fault.

But why would they carry out essential maintenance on a ride and then not reopen it? Still, at least it means that Loggers will (hopefully) be the only permanent closure in 2016, which isn't as bad as I was expecting based on Alton.

Who remembers this music? https://youtu.be/8EGQQxAgrdE The memories!

(Taken from the TP Facebook page). It doesn't confirm 2017 reopening but it does confirm that the ride will reopen, as I think the fact that they are carrying out essential maintenance secures the ride's future at the park.

Exactly! I'm asking whether it has been confirmed or not. Simple as. Essential maintenance according to Thorpe. I'm looking forward to seeing Loggers return in a better state for 2017!

This is why I think it is a crazy decision - where does it end? Do Zodiac and the Tea Cups have to go as well? And what about rides like Stormforce 10 and Valhalla? None of those have a belt either. It's a possibility, but would it be viable to implement lapbars on log flumes without having new boats altogether? I'm not so sure, it could be a cost-cutting measure like the other rides at Alton - has it actually been confirmed that the log flumes will be leaving altogether or are people just assuming it?

But there is nothing dangerous about log flumes, as has been proved by the fact that most of them have been operating for over 30 years! Thorpe are still telling people via social media that it is closed for essential maintenance, so if it doesn't ever reopen then I will be asking why they claimed it to be maintenance. Wonder what's happening with Dragon Falls?

Who are you to tell me which rides I do/don't enjoy? For me personally, I enjoy Hex a lot more than I enjoy rides like Air and Rita, so it is one of the draws to the park for me.

I don't think anyone has claimed that people visit specifically for The Flume, but it was very popular and gained long queues despite having a good throughput. Filler rides are a vital part of a park's lineup as they take pressure off the main rides/coasters as well as there being more rides for guests to enjoy.I never hated The Flume for the record, it's a very good log flume and probably the longest one in the country at least.

No, I'm not aware of saying anything bizarre, could you explain please?

The coasters don't even have the appeal for me (apart from Nemesis and Smiler), it was the support rides like Hex and The Flume that made the park IMO.

THIS! I think it shows how much they actually care about the park to be honest.

Sub Terra?Hex is a staple ride at Alton and one of the rides that makes the park special, closing it is a dreadful decision IMO.