Talus MB-H amphibious tractor
| Talus MB-H | |
|---|---|
 Talus MB-H RNLI launch vehicle | |
| Type | Launch vehicle |
| Manufacturer | Clayton Engineering Limited |
| Production | 31 |
| Length | 216 in (5.5 m) |
| Width | 96 in (2.4 m) |
| Height | 117 in (3.0 m) |
| Weight | 19.000 tonnes with track pads |
| Propulsion | tracks |
| Engine model | Caterpillar 3208 V8 Diesel |
| Gross power | 210 hp (160 kW) |
| Drawbar pull | 15 tonnes (18 tonnes max.) on bare drum |
| Speed | 7.5 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) |
- ^ Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat or vehicle carried on the hull.
See also
[edit]- Fowler Challenger III launch tractor
- New Holland TC45 launch tractor
- Talus MB-764 launch tractor
- Talus MB-4H launch tractor
- Talus Atlantic 85 DO-DO launch carriage
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Talus MBH Tractor". Description and details of the Model. Clayton Engineering Limited. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
- ^ OS Explorer Map 201 - Knighton and Presteigne Tref-y-clawdd a Dyffryn Elan, Author: Ordnance Survey. Publisher: Ordnance Survey. Work: Folded Map. ISBN 9780319237588
- ^ Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2024). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 91–93.
- ^ "UAW 558Y - 1982 Talus MB-H Crawler - Launch And Recovery Tractor". flickr photograph of T91. flickr. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
- ^ 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
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Ballybunion Sea & Cliff Rescue Service". Ballybunion Sea & Cliff Rescue Service. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ 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
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Caister Lifeboat | EXPLORE OUR LIFEBOATS". www.caisterlifeboat.org.uk. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
- ^ 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
- ^ "Hastings Lifeboat Station – RNLI website". Home page of the Hastings station. RNLI © 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
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