Alton Towers Discussion Thread

[Purplepills]

Terrible scenes today. Initially when I read about a 'crash' I assumed nothing major had really happened and it was the media blowing it out of proportion.

 

As everyone else has said, I can't understand how another train entered the same block as a stalled one. Nothing can really be taken as fact yet, although I read a couple of reports that the train with the guests in was stuck at the top of the lift hill for 5 minutes before going over. The video on the BBC website from 14 year old 'Thomas' HERE at the end shows what seems to be the stalled train before the crash? Its not moving so either its been there a while or it got jammed somehow. Unlikely to be another stalled train right?

 

All speculation of course but the fact this can happen at all is awful. I hope they get to the bottom of it soon so whatever caused it can be fixed and not happen anywhere else. Sad day indeed.

[coasterbill]

I won't pretend to be an expert on ride control systems but it seems almost incomprehensible to me that this could have happened. My thoughts and prayers are with the injured riders and their families.

[fudgey]

High quality journalism from our local news website...

 

Alton Towers rollercoaster crash: Cheltenham mum and son on ride 24 hours earlier

Read more at http://www.gloucestershireecho.co.uk/Alton-Towers-rollercoaster-crash-Cheltenham-mum/story-26620933-detail/story.html#0fOvgmCyZDeI7GiJ.99

 

LINK

[Sprint390g]

It's a shame that the smiler has suffered through the first two years. With delays on opening, vallying when it just opened and the whole nut falling off the track fiasco. All of these incidents has caused it to be less trusted. This is also never helped by the GP, who will mostly overreact to this incident. The crash is an unfortunate event and may ruin Alton Towers reputation for what is a great park. My thoughts go to the 4 casualties and wish they have a full recovery.

[livinandrockin]

As a former coaster op (11 yrs ago at KBF), maybe I can add a little to the conversation.

I totally agree with those that have posted so far saying that this "can't happen" with the computerized block brake systems in place. It had to have been running in "maintenance" or "manual" mode, which is only accessible by the ride mechanics. Usually, the mechanics are the ones operating the ride after it goes down. I can only assume that ops evac'd the train that ended up valleying, and the mechanics erroneously sent the train full of riders (likely un-evac-able) while the ride was still in maintenance mode. Of course, this is all speculation.

Our thoughts are with the injured riders, and thank goodness there were no fatalities.

[Purplepills]

Following on from the above; two trains on The Smiler have collided at the bottom of the batwing element. The situation is still ongoing with ambulances and an air ambulance on site, and with X Sector and the surrounding area shut down.

 

It seems an empty train was first sent out which stalled, before a full train of passengers was dispatched, getting stuck at the top of the first lift hill before somehow being allowed to continue through the circuit.

 

 

Just noticed how bent in the front of the second train is. Hell of a whack to do that, absolutely horrible for the people in the front row.

[Bag_O_Laughs]

I'm so upset that this has happened. I really feel for those guys who have been stuck on that train for 4 hours! I cannot believe the coaster Plc has glitched so badly to let another train off the lift hill while one had stalled.

 

This is my local park. Hopefully merlin can handle the financial fallout of this as I'd hate to see Alton towers close down.

[StealthFan]

The decision has been made by the park that tomorrow they will not open due to todays incident.

[SharkTums]

^I'm not sure I totally understand the reasoning behind that, other than maybe they just don't want a lot of "lookyloos".

[StealthFan]

^I'm not sure I totally understand the reasoning behind that, other than maybe they just don't want a lot of "lookyloos".

 

I was thinking that but then again they would have to close off the whole of X-Sector to prevent people looking and maybe even Sonic Spinball. I get the feeling this might be something the health and safety executive persuaded them to do to give them plenty of space to start their investigations and maybe check a few other things on park.

[Bag_O_Laughs]

It's a shame that the smiler has suffered through the first two years. With delays on opening, vallying when it just opened and the whole nut falling off the track fiasco. All of these incidents has caused it to be less trusted. This is also never helped by the GP, who will mostly overreact to this incident. The crash is an unfortunate event and may ruin Alton Towers reputation for what is a great park. My thoughts go to the 4 casualties and wish they have a full recovery.

 

I was standing next to the smiler when the bolt fell off. It wasn't a nut, trust me. It was a long bolt that came loose. I couldn't believe it myself, by I swear on my life, I watched a big old bolt fall to the ground. I was annoyed at the time bacause I had a fast pass to go on smiler and it was closed the rest of the day.

[soilooklikemanson]

This is horrible. Wishing the injured a speedy recovery. I find something odd. If you look at the satalite view on Google maps, it shows a crane or man lift extended over the track section that the collision occured. Although I can't speculate anything. Maybe this is a section requiring maintenance more often.

[rctneil]

This is horrible. Wishing the injured a speedy recovery. I find something odd. If you look at the satalite view on Google maps, it shows a crane or man lift extended over the track section that the collision occured. Although I can't speculate anything. Maybe this is a section requiring maintenance more often.

 

That photo was taken when it stalled just after it opened. It wasn't performing maintenance.

[RCT3Bross]

^ That's a really big action from the park. I would have imagen X-Sector to be close down until investigation was over, but the whole park closed down because of this seems a little drastic. I understand the park has to respond in a certain way and I'm sure they made the right choice.

 

And seeing the picturers that doesn't look good at all, I wonder how they it could happen.

[mattguyver]

LATEST UPDATE: According to the BBC the ride has been fully evacuated with four teenagers being taken to a hospital.Two couples suffered "significant crush-type lower limb injuries", which were described as critical but not life threatening.An Alton Towers spokeswoman said: "I can confirm that the ride has now been fully evacuated and those with serious injuries have been taken to hospital. "The evacuation was completed by 6.35pm."

[StealthFan]

This is horrible. Wishing the injured a speedy recovery. I find something odd. If you look at the satalite view on Google maps, it shows a crane or man lift extended over the track section that the collision occured. Although I can't speculate anything. Maybe this is a section requiring maintenance more often.

 

^A train has valleyed in that section multiple times since the ride was completed, it is a known issue with the ride.

 

I am not going to speculate on exactly what caused the crash though because I was not working on the ride, I have never operated that ride and have never read the operations manual for that ride. The riders are off now, they are in the hospital and I'm sure they park gave them some exit passes to come back at a later date. Now I think the best thing would be if everyone left the health and safety executive to get on with their investigations and Merlin to deal with what they need to deal with but we know that won't happen and I'm sure they fan boys are already claiming they know exactly what happened and how they saw this all coming.

[rctneil]

Can't agree with you more there Craig, let's see what they say after the investigation.

[_koppen]

and I'm sure they fan boys are already claiming they know exactly what happened and how they saw this all coming.

 

This made me lol!

[gerstlaueringvar]

I agree with the guessing that it might be in manual mode when the second train entered the block due to false operation. Even Golden Horse knows how block system works. Given how advanced block system has become over the years, designers at Gerstlauer can't design a system that can be easily failed or get tricked by a passing foreign object.

[Rollercoaster Rider]

I wonder how much longer until Alton Towers removes the coaster?

[KarlaKoaster]

I doubt they're even considering removing it, but it does have quite a toxic reputation because of its unreliability. It doesn't help that the press keep incorrectly stating that its wheels have previously fallen off (they were little plastic coated wheels from the lift chain)

[robbalvey]

I wonder how much longer until Alton Towers removes the coaster?

Yes, I'm sure Alton Towers is going to get right on that removing their $30 million investment over this accident. Just like Six Flags Over Texas removed Texas Giant or Six Flags New England removed Superman....

[StealthFan]

^

[willh51]

Awful, awful. I just hope everyone is OK.

 

Perhaps the block was clear, and a train rolled back from the second lift? That would make it more of a mechanical issue. In any event, Alton and Gerstlauer will figure it out, and hopefully the victims will have a speedy recoveries.

[DJeXeL]

Smiler being removed is not in the cards I don't think. Worse things have happened on coasters and they have remained operational.