The Smiler (roller coaster)
| The Smiler | |
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The Smiler trains dueling
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| Previously known as SW7 | |
| Alton Towers | |
| Park section | X-Sector |
| Coordinates | 52°59′14″N 1°53′43″W / 52.98722°N 1.89528°WCoordinates: 52°59′14″N 1°53′43″W / 52.98722°N 1.89528°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | 31 May 2013 |
| Cost | £18,000,000 |
| Replaced | The Black Hole |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel |
| Manufacturer | Gerstlauer |
| Designer |
John Wardley (track layout) Ben Dowson (creative lead) |
| Model | Infinity Coaster |
| Track layout | Infinity Coaster 1170 |
| Lift/launch system | 2 Chain lift systems, 2nd is vertical. |
| Height | 72 ft (22 m) |
| Drop | 30 m (98 ft) |
| Length | 1,170 m (3,840 ft) |
| Speed | 53 mph (85 km/h) |
| Inversions | 14 |
| Duration | 2:45 |
| Capacity | 960 riders per hour |
| G-force | 4.5 |
| Height restriction | 140 cm (4 ft 7 in) |
| Trains | 4 trains with 4 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 16 riders per train. |
 Fastrack available |
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 Single rider line available |
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The Smiler at RCDB Pictures of The Smiler at RCDB |
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The Smiler is a steel roller coaster located at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, United Kingdom. Manufactured by Gerstlauer, it features 14 inversions and holds the world record for most inversions on a roller coaster. The Smiler has suffered a series of setbacks and ride incidents including a malfunction at a press preview event which delayed the official opening date to 31 May 2013. On 2 June 2015, two of the ride's trains collided leaving five riders seriously injured. An investigation by the HSE was initiated, and the ride was closed for the remainder of the season. The ride eventually reopened on 19 March 2016 for the start of the new season.It is said that after the ride opened to the public it included better safety standards that would prevent a collision from ever happening again.
Plans to build The Smiler were submitted to the local authority in December 2011. Permission was granted on 15 March 2012 following a Staffordshire Moorlands Council meeting, despite some local opposition to its construction.Gerstlauer, a German manufacturing company, was hired to build the roller coaster. Less than a month after obtaining permission, Alton Towers launched a website announcing a new ride – codenamed Secret Weapon 7 (SW7) – for the 2013 season. Its codename followed a similar format used for other roller coasters during their teaser campaigns, such as SW4 for Oblivion and SW6 for Thirteen.
In June 2012, a trademark filed by Merlin Entertainments, parent company of Alton Towers, hinted that the new ride would be named The Smiler. On 17 October 2012, a number of facts about the coaster were revealed to the public including its maximum speed, track length, ride time, passengers per train and ride cost. Despite the release, Alton Towers did not announce or confirm the name for the ride.
The site for the new ride was determined to be an area in the park being occupied by the tent that previously contained the Black Hole, a roller coaster which closed after the 2005 season. The park began dismantling the Black Hole on 12 April 2012. The first pieces of track arrived at the park in late October 2012. Sections of track were later moved to the construction site on 6 December 2012.
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