The Smiler
Roller coaster in Staffordshire, England / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Smiler is a steel roller coaster located at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, United Kingdom. It opened in 2013 as the first Infinity Coaster model from Gerstlauer and was built in the X-Sector area of the park. The Smiler features 14 inversions, which is a world record for most inversions on a roller coaster.[3]
The Smiler | |
---|---|
Alton Towers | |
Location | Alton Towers |
Park section | X-Sector |
Coordinates | 52°59′14″N 1°53′43″W |
Status | Operating |
Opening date | 31 May 2013 (2013-05-31) |
Cost | £18 million |
Replaced | The Black Hole |
General statistics | |
Type | Steel |
Manufacturer | Gerstlauer |
Designer | John Wardley (track layout)[1] |
Model | Infinity Coaster |
Track layout | Infinity Coaster 1170 |
Lift/launch system | Two chain lift hills |
Drop | 98.4 ft (30.0 m) |
Length | 3,838.6 ft (1,170.0 m) |
Speed | 52.8 mph (85.0 km/h) |
Inversions | 14 |
Duration | 2:45 |
Capacity | 1,200 riders per hour |
G-force | 4.6[2] |
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 | |
Single rider line available | |
The Smiler at RCDB |
The ride has experienced a series of setbacks since its initial unveiling. A malfunction at a press preview event delayed the official opening date by two weeks, and in 2015, a major collision left five riders seriously injured. The incident resulted in an investigation by the UK government's Health and Safety Executive, and the ride eventually reopened the following season with revamped safety standards.