The Smiler - Construction Discussion

Wed Apr 24, 2013 2:31 pm

Don't know if other people have seen this but here is brief footage of the workers strapping themselves onto The Smiler via ITV website here.

Wed Apr 24, 2013 2:51 pm

I shall be watching central news tonight, let the marketing commence!!! :moj

Wed Apr 24, 2013 2:55 pm

Haha me and my bf has got VIP passes tomorrow to look behind the scenes we won 4 tickets and a night in the hotel but because we live in stoke they have also said we can go have a look around the smiler site and into the station looks like we should get are hard hats ready lol

Wed Apr 24, 2013 2:58 pm

kelly.carter.79230 wrote: Haha me and my bf has got VIP passes tomorrow to look behind the scenes we won 4 tickets and a night in the hotel but because we live in stoke they have also said we can go have a look around the smiler site and into the station looks like we should get are hard hats ready lol

Get some photos (if you're allowed)

Wed Apr 24, 2013 3:03 pm

Evostance wrote:
kelly.carter.79230 wrote: Haha me and my bf has got VIP passes tomorrow to look behind the scenes we won 4 tickets and a night in the hotel but because we live in stoke they have also said we can go have a look around the smiler site and into the station looks like we should get are hard hats ready lol
Get some photos (if you're allowed)

And if you're not allowed, draw a picture!

Wed Apr 24, 2013 3:03 pm

kelly.carter.79230 wrote: Haha me and my bf has got VIP passes tomorrow to look behind the scenes we won 4 tickets and a night in the hotel but because we live in stoke they have also said we can go have a look around the smiler site and into the station looks like we should get are hard hats ready lol

Take some sneaky pictures of the stuff you are shown around !!

(even if you're not allowed ! ) we need to see construction pics ! We thrive off them !

Wed Apr 24, 2013 3:25 pm

We have bin told that when we go in we have to give in are phones and we get searched encase we have video stuff on us yes it's going be great but can't take pictures:-( but only plus apparently everything will come clear by the 1st of may inside the station the only thing I can say is the have things in the walls as you are walking up to the station outside and in

Wed Apr 24, 2013 3:25 pm

I will draw a picture of the inside of the station

Wed Apr 24, 2013 3:30 pm

How long will testing take

Wed Apr 24, 2013 3:31 pm

Nathan Clulow97 wrote: How long will testing take

Should be about 10 minutes.

Wed Apr 24, 2013 3:42 pm

SonicChips wrote:
Nathan Clulow97 wrote: How long will testing take
Should be about 10 minutes.

What?? 10 minutes?? More like 200hrs plus for testing.

Wed Apr 24, 2013 3:42 pm

Nathan Clulow97 wrote: How long will testing take

You have to test for a total of 200 hours .. how long AT and Gersh want to stretch that out is another question and entirely up to them ! However , 200 hours of testing IS required before you can open the ride to the GP... I'd imagine they will just go at it none stop day in , day out. They need to be ready for 18th-25th May 2013 at the VERY latest !

Wed Apr 24, 2013 3:43 pm

SonicChips wrote:
Nathan Clulow97 wrote: How long will testing take
Should be about 10 minutes.

10 minutes ? no ! More like the standard procedure of 200 hours !! 10 minutes wouldnt even be enough to test it once round !!

Wed Apr 24, 2013 3:45 pm

Nathan Clulow97 wrote: How long will testing take

Test requires a minimum of 200 hours. As AT has strict operating rules they can only do testing while the park is open. So that gives them about 9 hours a day to play with. So we are looking at around 20 days of testing.

Codmaster · Wed Apr 24, 2013 3:45 pm

jamjamz wrote:
SonicChips wrote:
Nathan Clulow97 wrote: How long will testing take
Should be about 10 minutes.
What?? 10 minutes?? More like 200hrs plus for testing.

Hahhahahaha.

I think that this is related to the discussion of the inspection buggy thing that B&M use, we said that if it traveled at 1mph it would take about 8.5 mins to check....

Realistically testing will take a few days

Wed Apr 24, 2013 3:49 pm

All we can say for sure is testing must be imminent if they want to have it signed off with any imperfections sorted ready for a May opening!

Wed Apr 24, 2013 3:52 pm

Scaffolding is up around an area of the track now (check TPW's Facebook).

Any idea why?

Wed Apr 24, 2013 3:54 pm

This 200 hours that everyone quotes has no official confirmation at all! I can find no proof that it needs any amount of hours at all, please look up roller coaster testing and safety, there is no mention of 200 hours at all! If it was that important and well known it would be stated somewhere other than just rumours on this forum

Wed Apr 24, 2013 4:05 pm

Codmaster wrote:
jamjamz wrote:
SonicChips wrote: Should be about 10 minutes.
What?? 10 minutes?? More like 200hrs plus for testing.
Hahhahahaha.

I think that this is related to the discussion of the inspection buggy thing that B&M use, we said that if it traveled at 1mph it would take about 8.5 mins to check....

Realistically testing will take a few days

It wasn't related to anything. For those wh ohave read previous posts of mine, you may have noticed that I tend to carry a certain level of sarcasm. I saw the question about testing and my hands just kinda went into "autopilot", siezing an opportunity to make an inappropriate remark.

Sorry for the confusion, peeps - but you gotta take my comments with a pinch of salt. I'm quite sure that a company's highest cost fixed asset will have much more testing that 10 minutes.

Wed Apr 24, 2013 4:06 pm

andzdrew wrote: This 200 hours that everyone quotes has no official confirmation at all! I can find no proof that it needs any amount of hours at all, please look up roller coaster testing and safety, there is no mention of 200 hours at all! If it was that important and well known it would be stated somewhere other than just rumours on this forum

Take it from someone who used to work in the industry. The documentation pertaining the guidelines for erection of new coasters, is not something you will likely find on line. This is because it's generally something that's drafted between the manufacturers, and whichever industry standards body is being used in the country of choice (for the uk it's ADIPS).
Even though this information is not readily available, I was reliably informed, whilst working for TP's engineering department in the closed season of 05/06, that the minimum required period for testing is 200 hours.
I'm sorry I can't give you any factual documentation on this, you'll just have to take my word for it. But on the flip side, just because you can't find where it's written doesn't mean I'm wrong. And if there wasn't a specific requirement, then manufacturers would legally be able to commission their rides with any testing at all.