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Talus MB-H amphibious tractor

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Talus MB-H
Talus MB-H RNLI launch vehicle
TypeLaunch vehicle
ManufacturerClayton Engineering Limited
Production31
Length216 in (5.5 m)
Width96 in (2.4 m)
Height117 in (3.0 m)
Weight19.000 tonnes with track pads
Propulsiontracks
Engine modelCaterpillar 3208 V8 Diesel
Gross power210 hp (160 kW)
Drawbar pull15 tonnes (18 tonnes max.) on bare drum
Speed7.5 miles per hour (12.1 km/h)

Talus MB-H is a continuous track launch tractor which was specifically designed for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), to launch and recover carriage mounted lifeboats, particularly the Mersey-class lifeboat, from beach-launched lifeboat stations.[1] In total, 31 tractors were manufactured by Clayton Engineering Limited of Knighton, Powys.[2]

As of October 2024, only 3 Mersey-class lifeboats remain in service with the RNLI, and of those, only two, Aldeburgh and Newcastle, are carriage launched, with the aid of the Talus MB-H.

The Mersey-class is being replaced mostly with the new Shannon-class All-weather lifeboat, which uses the new Shannon Launch and Recovery System (SLARS) from Supacat and Clayton Engineering, or in some locations, with a B-class (Atlantic 85) Inshore lifeboat.

Some of the surplus Talus MB-H tractors will be transferred for use at stations using the Inshore Atlantic 85, with a few retained in the relief fleet, whilst the rest are likely to be sold out of service. The following list will include those tractors now in use with Independent rescue services where known.

Talus MB-H fleet

[edit]
Op.No.[a] Reg No. Station In service[3] Image Current lifeboat pay-load Comments
T91 UAW 558Y Trials
Hoylake
Relief fleet
Wells-next-the-Sea
Relief fleet
Rhyl
Relief fleet
Llandudno
Relief fleet
Minehead
Relief fleet
1982–1983
1983–1986
1986–1993
1993–1995
1995–1997
1997–2007
2007–2008
2008–2017
2017–2019
2019–2023
2023–
[4]
T92 A462 AUX Rhyl
Hoylake
Relief fleet
Ilfracombe
Relief fleet
Clovelly
Relief fleet
1984–1997
1997–2007
2007–2008
2008–2015
2015–2019
2019–2020
2020–
T93 A496 CUX Skegness
Relief fleet
Dungeness
Relief fleet
Rhyl
1984–1995
1995–1996
1996–2005
2005–2007
2007–2019
[5]
T94 B567 FAW Relief fleet
Hoylake
Relief fleet
Llandudno
Relief fleet
Pwllheli
Relief fleet
1984–1986
1986–1997
1997–1999
1999–2008
2008–2011
2011–2022
2022–
T95 B188 GAW Hastings
Dungeness
Hastings
Relief fleet
Lytham St Annes
1985
1985–1996
1997–2007
2007–2008
2008–2018
[6]
T96 B668 HUJ Hastings
North Sunderland
Wells-next-the-Sea
Ballybunion (Ind)
1985–1997
1998–2006
2006–2023
2023–
B-class (Atlantic 75)
Tommy C
[7]
T97 C282 LNT
85-D-8571
North Sunderland
Ilfracombe
Relief fleet
Barmouth
Relief fleet
Clogherhead
Relief fleet
Aberdovey
1986–1998
1998–1999
1999–2004
2004
2004–2010
2010–2013
2013–2014
2014–
B-class (Atlantic 85)
Hugh Miles (B-896)
T98 C168 NAW
86-D-120010
Sheringham
Relief fleet
Cromer
Relief fleet
Pwllheli
Training(Hurn)
Relief fleet
Clogherhead
Relief fleet
Clovelly
1986–1992
1992–1996
1996–1999
1999–2000
2000–2011
2011
2011–2013
2013–2019
2019–2020
2020–
B-class (Atlantic 85)
Toby Rundle (B-872)
T99 C82 NUX Wells-next-the-Sea
Relief fleet
Wells-next-the-Sea
Relief fleet
Hoylake
Relief fleet
1986–1993
1993–1995
1995–2006
2006–2007
2007–2014
2014–
T100 D446 RAW Bridlington
Relief fleet
Ilfracombe
Relief fleet
Bembridge
Relief fleet
New Quay
1986–1998
1998–1999
1999–2008
2008–2009
2009–2010
2010–2011
2011–2023
T101 D335 SUJ
MMN 258H
Ilfracombe
Relief fleet
Bridlington
Relief fleet
Ramsey
Relief fleet
Minehead
1987–1998
1998–2000
2000–2008
2008–2015
2015–2021
2022–2023
2023–
B-class (Atlantic 85)
Penny J II (B-939)
[8]
T102 E387 VAW Llandudno
Relief fleet
New Quay
Relief fleet
Filey
Relief fleet
Aldeburgh
1987–1999
1999–2001
2001–2011
2011–2013
2013–2019
2019–2021
2021–
Mersey-class
12-34 Freddie Cooper (ON 1193)
T103 E589 WAW Pwllheli
Scarborough
Relief fleet
1987–2001
2001–2015
2015–2016
T104 E269 YUJ
88-LH-3977
Newcastle
Relief fleet
Clogherhead
Relief fleet
Anstruther
Relief fleet
Filey
1988–1999
1999–2001
2001–2010
2010–2012
2012–2016
2016–2019
2019–
B-class (Atlantic 85)
Marjorie Shepherd (B-928)
T105 E837 XNT
FMN 664V
Clogherhead
Relief fleet
Ramsey
Relief fleet
1988–2001
2001–2002
2002–2015
2015
[Sold 1]
T106 F760 BUJ Scarborough
Relief fleet
Filey
Relief fleet
Maryport (Ind)
1988–2001
2001–2003
2003–2013
2013–2015
2017–
MST Rescue 900 (9m RIB)
"E-ON Spirit of Maryport"
T107 F415 EAW Kilmore Quay
Lytham St Annes
Relief fleet
Margate
Relief fleet
1989–2001
2001–2008
2008–2013
2013–2024
2024–
T108 F133 FUJ
1222 MN
St Ives
Relief fleet
Bridlington
Kilmore Quay
Training (Instow)
Stored
Cromer
Relief fleet
Exmouth
Relief fleet
Peel
Ramsey
Relief fleet
1989–1997
1997–1998
1998–2000
2001–2003
2003–2006
2006–2007
2007–2008
2008–2009
2009–2014
2014–2019
2019–2021
2021–2022
2022–
[9]
T109 G296 KUX Filey
Margate
Relief fleet
Training
Relief fleet
1990–2003
2003–2013
2013–2015
2015
2015–2016
T110 G751 MNT Ramsey
Anstruther
Relief fleet
Anstruther
Relief fleet
1990–2002
2003–2012
2012–2016
2016–2024
2024–
T111 H926 PUJ
1222 MN
Margate
Relief fleet
Peel
Caister (Ind)
1991–2003
2003–2004
2004–2019
2020–
Alicat 5m RIB
Fred Dyble II
[10]
T112 H977 SNT Anstruther
Relief fleet
Ferryside (Ind)
1991–2003
2003–2017
2017–
Ribcraft 6.4m-Professional RIB
The Freemason
T113 J794 VUX New Quay
Relief fleet
Filey
Relief fleet
St Ives
Relief fleet
Training
1992–2001
2001–2003
2003
2003–2006
2006–2015
2015–2016
2016–
T114 1222 MN
J126 WUJ
Peel
Skegness
1992–2004
2005–2017
[11]
T115 K499 AUX Relief fleet
Aldeburgh
1993–2005
2005–2021
T116 K920 DUJ Aldeburgh
Dungeness
Relief fleet
Training
Hemsby (Ind)
1993–2005
2005–2014
2014–2015
2015–2017
2021–
B-class (Atlantic 75)
Sea Weaver (ex B-762)
T117 L784 JNT Relief fleet
Skegness
Relief fleet
Seahouses
1994–1995
1995–2005
2005–2006
2006–2021
[11]
[Sold 2]
T118 M224 SNT St Ives
Newcastle
East Sutherland (Ind)
1997–2006
2006–2022
2022–
Ribcraft 8.0 Lifeboat
Wildlands
T119 N470 XAW Newcastle
Relief fleet
Hastings
Walmer
1999–2006
2006–2007
2007–2019
2019–
B-class (Atlantic 85)
Donald McLoughlin (B-808)
[12]
T120 P514 HAW Lytham
Relief fleet
Bridlington
Relief fleet
Newcastle
Relief fleet
1999–2001
2001–2008
2008–2017
2018–2022
2022–2023
2023–
T121 DX04 YZG Barmouth
Relief fleet
Newcastle
1992–2019
2019–2023
2023–
Mersey-class
12-20 Leonard Kent (ON 1177)
  1. ^ Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat or vehicle carried on the hull.

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Sold to Caldey Island to be used to tow a low water landing stage. Flooded in 2021, replaced with T117
  2. ^ Sold to Caldey Island to be used to tow a low water landing stage, replacing T105

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Talus MBH Tractor". Description and details of the Model. Clayton Engineering Limited. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  2. ^ OS Explorer Map 201 - Knighton and Presteigne Tref-y-clawdd a Dyffryn Elan, Author: Ordnance Survey. Publisher: Ordnance Survey. Work: Folded Map. ISBN 9780319237588
  3. ^ Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2024). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 91–93.
  4. ^ "UAW 558Y - 1982 Talus MB-H Crawler - Launch And Recovery Tractor". flickr photograph of T91. flickr. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  5. ^ Skegness Lifeboats – An illustrated History. Author: Leach, Nicholas. Publisher:Landmark Publishing Ltd. Year Published:2008. Work: Chapter 7, Lincolnshire Poacher, Page 84, Arrival of new boat and tractor. ISBN 978-1-84306-423-7
  6. ^ "A Man and his Beast". Photos from the Lytham St Annes Station of their new Talus MB-H (T 103). Copyright © 2014, Industry MRO Pty Ltd. Archived from the original on 1 May 2017. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  7. ^ "Ballybunion Sea & Cliff Rescue Service". Ballybunion Sea & Cliff Rescue Service. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  8. ^ The Bridlington Lifeboat – The First 200 Years, 1805-2005. Author: Fred Walkington, MBE. Publisher: Phillimore & CO. Ltd. 2005 Edition. Work: Chapter 6, Page 108, Illustration 37. The present lifeboat tractor, T101. ISBN 9781860773358
  9. ^ "The Tractor has Arrived". Photos from the Exmouth Station Website of their new Talus MB-H (T 103). Exmouth Lifeboat Station - RNLI. Archived from the original on 26 March 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  10. ^ "Caister Lifeboat | EXPLORE OUR LIFEBOATS". www.caisterlifeboat.org.uk. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  11. ^ a b Skegness Lifeboats – An illustrated History. Author: Leach, Nicholas. Publisher:Landmark Publishing Ltd. Year Published:2008. Work: Chapter 7, Lincolnshire Poacher, Page 94, illustrations: Talus T114 bottom left of page, Talus T117 top of page. ISBN 978-1-84306-423-7
  12. ^ "Hastings Lifeboat Station – RNLI website". Home page of the Hastings station. RNLI © 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2016.