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Alton Towers | The Smiler | Gerstlauer Infinity

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Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

I love how in the concept art the Marmaliser legs look all thick, sturdy and intimidating but in real life they just look like flimsy Kinex.

I honestly don't know what to expect from this coaster. Hopefully I can board with the same neutral view like I did with The Swarm for the first ride so then I either won't be massively disappointed or I can be pleasantly surprised. I managed to enjoy Saw on my first ever go in May 09 with no complaints of roughness...hopefully this will be the same. I do however think there may not be enough 'breather' spots in this to actually let people take in what's going on, like "Leave station - HEREHAVEANINVERSIONANDANOTHERHERE'SANOTHERONEMOREOHWAITHAVEANOTHER - End"

So yeah, open mind, blank expectations...whatever you want to call it.
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

There is a lift hill mid ride. That should provide some breathing space.

It has occurred to me that this ride has more inversions than Alton Towers has had in Total with all it's other coasters ever. Thats fairly impressive.
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

Enigma Shadow said:
I love how in the concept art the Marmaliser legs look all thick, sturdy and intimidating but in real life they just look like flimsy Kinex.
Click to expand...
I'm sure it'll look different when finished. The concept art shows some sort of padding on the lower arms, so it won't look completely bare and flimsy.
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

I think the best part of this ride will be the 2 corkscrew/barrel roll inversions at the end
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

Wow... Merlin theme 2 coasters well beyond what any other park in the UK has managed in years... and people still moan... sigh.
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

roomraider said:
Wow... Merlin theme 2 coasters well beyond what any other park in the UK has managed in years... and people still moan... sigh.
Click to expand...

I know, there's just no pleasing some people :roll:
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

Screaming Coasters said:
Only Merlin can dress up a standard lighting truss system and pass it off as theming.
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Doesn't look the same as lighting truss to me...Don't they use tubular sections for the web? Not rectangular like on this bit of theming.
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

According to TT, the Smiler will be sponsored by Colgate. April fools joke?
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

I actually read that it's ariel due to the washing machine part.
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

I heard it was going to be Ryanair due to the fact it'll be a painful experience.
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

^and there will be an up charge for every inversion which is why they packed in as many as they can.
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

Nah, it's deffo gunna be sponsored by Marmite :lol:

485186_10152519084335463_2145126266_n.jpg
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

In the flesh, this thing is unreal.

Sent from my ST25i using Tapatalk 2
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

Right back and with a fair pictures...

It's hard to put into pictures the shear scale of the ride. It's such a towering mass of twisted metal that delves deep into the ground. When the area is finished and opened up, this is going to be incredible to look at... Ride, maybe not so much, but look at ;)

Here's the twisted mass:
9b2abf7422182527f579992a.jpg


I loved the way the did a cheeky snip out of the toilet roof to make it fit :lol:
d6f85c3199e9ac1d950411c0.jpg


No sign of either lift hill yet and the section above the toilets doesn't seem to have changed for weeks. I do love the way it's supported to straddle the toilet block, so crap ;) :
e7834ec3e7f5196bb9bae8b1.jpg


This probably gives some idea of the scale of the ride. Standing under the "drops", you can see the ride fading off into the distance with the interlocked elements fading into the background:
f8c73bac012caaf859bb129f.jpg


Here's that really weird corkscrew type of thing. It's fantastic the way it twists around itself. This is going to cross the brakes before the second lift too. Really got no idea where it's coming from/going to though - you just can't follow the track layout. I love the deep "pit" this section is going into as well:
1a49589df8bafb1fbfeefbaf.jpg


Coming from the right here, you can see the inverted "drop", which looks like it'll have an inline twist before it meets that next section of track. The thing is just so amazing to look at...
b80b6266e8eb792b171a2dda.jpg


Finally, the station building is HUGE. You can see the steps inside and just a flash of the yellow of the airgates which have already been installed. There's a bridge over the track too. The station building is from the floor of the excavated area up to where you can see there and it's going to be a spacious three floor building (including loading area), but it's easily 5 or 6 "stories" high:
4becf817c3121b632d4a7dd7.jpg


Very impressive looking coaster, and you get a real idea of just how "deep" X-Sector is looking down into the pit The Smiler sits in. It's a huge coaster for the space, and there's so much metal in there it's hard to really comprehend.

So yeah, it looks fantastic in the flesh and I don't care how badly it rides, it's a superb addition.

Full album here:
http://www.coasterforce.com/my-cf/furie ... lbumid=261
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

Yes, wow!

Not one section of flat, dead track.

It will be as rough as your mum's bum fluff after a few months, but it's going to be disorientating, relentless and something unseen here in the UK...if not the world. The first few rides will be immense fun.
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

Wow... Merlin theme 2 coasters well beyond what any other park in the UK has managed in years... and people still moan... sigh.
Click to expand...

To be fair, beyond the big spider thing, this doesn't appear to have much theming at all...
 
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