Talus MB-H amphibious tractor explained

Talus MB-H
Manufacturer:	Clayton Engineering Limited
Production:	31
Length:	216inches
Width:	96inches
Height:	117inches
Weight:	19.000 tonnes with track pads
Propulsion:	tracks
Type:	Launch vehicle
Engine Model:	Caterpillar 3208 V8 Diesel
Gross Power:	210abbr=onNaNabbr=on
Drawbar Pull:	15 tonnes (18 tonnes max.) on bare drum
Speed:	7.5mph

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 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 lifeboats remain in service with the RNLI, and of those, only two, and, are carriage launched, with the aid of the Talus MB-H.

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

Op.No.	Reg No.	Station	In service^[3]	Image	Current lifeboat pay-load	Comments
T91	UAW 558Y	Trials Relief fleet Relief fleet Relief fleet Relief fleet Relief fleet	1983–1986 1986–1993 1993–1995 1995–1997 1997–2007 2007–2008 2008–2017 2017–2019 2019–2023 2023–			^[4]
T92	A462 AUX	Relief fleet Relief fleet Relief fleet	1984–1997 1997–2007 2007–2008 2008–2015 2015–2019 2019–2020 2020–
T93	A496 CUX	Relief fleet Relief fleet	1984–1995 1995–1996 1996–2005 2005–2007 2007–2019			^[5]
T94	B567 FAW	Relief fleet Relief fleet Relief fleet Relief fleet	1984–1986 1986–1997 1997–1999 1999–2008 2008–2011 2011–2022 2022–
T95	B188 GAW	Relief fleet	1985 1985–1996 1997–2007 2007–2008 2008–2018			^[6]
T96	B668 HUJ	Ballybunion (Ind)	1985–1997 1998–2006 2006–2023 2023–		Tommy C	^[7]
T97	C282 LNT 85-D-8571	Relief fleet Relief fleet Relief fleet	1986–1998 1998–1999 1999–2004 2004 2004–2010 2010–2013 2013–2014 2014–		Hugh Miles (B-896)
T98	C168 NAW	Relief fleet Relief fleet Training(Hurn) Relief fleet Relief fleet	1986–1992 1992–1996 1996–1999 1999–2000 2000–2011 2011 2011–2013 2013–2019 2019–2020 2020–		Toby Rundle (B-872)
T99	C82 NUX	Relief fleet Relief fleet Relief fleet	1986–1993 1993–1995 1995–2006 2006–2007 2007–2014 2014–
T100	D446 RAW	Relief fleet Relief fleet Relief fleet	1986–1998 1998–1999 1999–2008 2008–2009 2009–2010 2010–2011 2011–2023
T101	D335 SUJ MMN 258H	Relief fleet Relief fleet Relief fleet	1987–1998 1998–2000 2000–2008 2008–2015 2015–2021 2022–2023 2023–		Penny J II (B-939)	^[8]
T102	E387 VAW	Relief fleet Relief fleet Relief fleet	1987–1999 1999–2001 2001–2011 2011–2013 2013–2019 2019–2021 2021–		12-34 Freddie Cooper (ON 1193)
T103	E589 WAW	Relief fleet	1987–2001 2001–2015 2015–2016
T104	E269 YUJ 88-LH-3977	Relief fleet Relief fleet Relief fleet	1988–1999 1999–2001 2001–2010 2010–2012 2012–2016 2016–2019 2019–		Marjorie Shepherd (B-928)
T105	E837 XNT FMN 664V	Relief fleet Relief fleet	1988–2001 2001–2002 2002–2015 2015			^[9]
T106	F760 BUJ	Relief fleet 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	Relief fleet Relief fleet	1989–2001 2001–2008 2008–2013 2013–2024 2024–
T108	F133 FUJ 1222 MN	Relief fleet Training (Instow) Stored Relief fleet Relief fleet 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–			^[10]
T109	G296 KUX	Relief fleet Training Relief fleet	1990–2003 2003–2013 2013–2015 2015 2015–2016
T110	G751 MNT	Relief fleet Relief fleet	1990–2002 2003–2012 2012–2016 2016–2024 2024–
T111	H926 PUJ 1222 MN	Relief fleet Caister (Ind)	1991–2003 2003–2004 2004–2019 2020–		Alicat 5m RIB Fred Dyble II	^[11]
T112	H977 SNT	Relief fleet Ferryside (Ind)	1991–2003 2003–2017 2017–		Ribcraft 6.4m-Professional RIB The Freemason
T113	J794 VUX	Relief fleet Relief fleet Relief fleet Training	1992–2001 2001–2003 2003 2003–2006 2006–2015 2015–2016 2016–
T114	1222 MN J126 WUJ		1992–2004 2005–2017			^[12]
T115	K499 AUX	Relief fleet	1993–2005 2005–2021
T116	K920 DUJ	Relief fleet Training Hemsby (Ind)	1993–2005 2005–2014 2014–2015 2015–2017 2021–		Sea Weaver (ex B-762)
T117	L784 JNT	Relief fleet Relief fleet	1994–1995 1995–2005 2005–2006 2006–2021			^[13]
T118	M224 SNT		1997–2006 2006–2022 2022–		Ribcraft 8.0 Lifeboat Wildlands
T119	N470 XAW	Relief fleet	1999–2006 2006–2007 2007–2019 2019–		Donald McLoughlin (B-808)	^[14]
T120	P514 HAW	Relief fleet Relief fleet Relief fleet	1999–2001 2001–2008 2008–2017 2018–2022 2022–2023 2023–
T121	DX04 YZG	Relief fleet	1992–2019 2019–2023 2023–		12-20 Leonard Kent (ON 1177)

See also

• 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 and References

1. Web site: Talus MBH Tractor. Description and details of the Model. Clayton Engineering Limited. 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.
3. Book: Leonard . Richie . Denton . Tony . Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. 2024 . Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society . 91–93.
4. Web site: UAW 558Y - 1982 Talus MB-H Crawler - Launch And Recovery Tractor. flickr photograph of T91. flickr . 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.
6. Web site: 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. 25 March 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20170501090806/http://www.industrymro.com.au/on-the-road/a-man-beast . 2017-05-01.
7. Web site: Ballybunion Sea & Cliff Rescue Service . Ballybunion Sea & Cliff Rescue Service . 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.
9. Sold to Caldey Island to be used to tow a low water landing stage. Flooded in 2021, replaced with T117
10. Web site: The Tractor has Arrived. Photos from the Exmouth Station Website of their new Talus MB-H (T 103). Exmouth Lifeboat Station - RNLI. 24 March 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140326000429/http://www.exmouth-lifeboat.org.uk/Tractor_14_04_09/index.html . 2014-03-26.
11. Web site: Caister Lifeboat EXPLORE OUR LIFEBOATS . 2022-08-05 . www.caisterlifeboat.org.uk . en.
12. 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.
13. Sold to Caldey Island to be used to tow a low water landing stage, replacing T105
14. Web site: Hastings Lifeboat Station – RNLI website . Home page of the Hastings station. RNLI © 2014. 6 September 2016.