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The Smiler Incident 02/06/2015


Ian-S

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Anyone who has taken a 1st Aid course would probably have been told quite plainly, unless you point the finger at one select person to ring 999, there's a good chance no one will do it. Its human nature, and remember, even the ride ops are human beings too.

 

If you walked outside and saw a comet fly down from the sky and bop someone on the head would your first instinct be to ring 999? You'd probably be so awestruck you wouldn't know what to do. I know its not exactly the same, but the incident just couldn't have happened in the ride ops minds, and it came as such surprise to everyone that I should suspect 90% of people probably had no clue how to react. 

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Good job the press wasn't at Thorpe the other Sunday as someone had decorated the entire path behind Rush with their lunch after riding it.

Somebody had chundered on Colossus too, the ride was closed for 20 minutes for "essential cleaning".

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

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Well, having seen the ride myself today, I can safely say that if it turns out the operator couldn't see the car then I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest that it happened, I couldn't tell one section of the track from another and I was standing right next to it, I can't imagine how difficult it would be from a CCTV with no depth of field.

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Well, having seen the ride myself today, I can safely say that if it turns out the operator couldn't see the car then I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest that it happened, I couldn't tell one section of the track from another and I was standing right next to it, I can't imagine how difficult it would be from a CCTV with no depth of field.

There's a simplified light up diagram on the control panel screen.
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Tbh I believe its both a human and a technical fault.  I've put together an opinion based on some of the things I have read. From what I have gathered, you're not supposed to load a car while a test car is going around. Second, the car was forced off the first lift hill which meant it was overridden by the operator. The block brake should have stopped the car. Is any of this right because if so it seems legit?

Edited by Tommy
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Tbh I believe its both a human and a technical fault.  I've put together an opinion based on some of the things I have read. From what I have gathered, you're not supposed to load a car while a test car is going around. Second, the car was forced off the first lift hill which meant it was overridden by the operator. The block brake should have stopped the car. Is any of this right because if so it seems legit?

 

Having worked on Dragon's Fury on Chessington, there are no rules about waiting for a test car to come back - Sometimes trains are sent empty just for convenience depending on the fault.

 

It is still unknown why the car moved on from the lift hill after waiting for 10-20 minutes - I'm doubtful that the operator would have the ability to override the blocking system, and would expect engineering to have to get involved, but I don't know the procedures on the Smiler at all.

 

There are trim brakes between the lift hill and section of track where the trains collided, however they would not have been able to stop the train as they are just trims.  The 'block brake' is the lift hill in this situation.

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Although nothing should be taken for certain, some people have a reputation for knowledge and truth and should just be listened to. Pay attention and work out who.

 

We will all know in due course, because as much as Towers might not want the full facts laid bare the Health and Safety executive will take that out of their hands when they publish their report.

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What evidence was there that they added a new train? The queue times suggest a train was added about an hour before. Also the story from the people on the train said they got on and off the train 3 times before they were finally sent. Doesn't sound like a train being added to me.

 

The people who were 'next to get on the train' (which is inside), were also watching the stalled train (which is outside), and were shouting to stop the ride...

 

A lot of those stories are rubbish.

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