Talus MB-4H amphibious tractor


Talus MB-4H is a four-wheel-drive launch tractor which was specifically designed for the RNLI, to launch and recover inshore lifeboats from beach launched lifeboat stations. The Tractor is produced by the British company of Clayton Engineering Limited who are based in Knighton, Powys. The tractor plays an important role within the operations required for saving lives at sea.

Design Brief

Until the development of this tractor the RNLI had been relying on the adaptation of commercially available tractors which proved to be inefficient and costly. Clayton engineering worked in close liaison with the RNLI on a design brief specifically aimed at the ILB launch requirements. This brief included to be totally waterproof with an excellent ground clearance and the best steering ability possible.

Design and Development

Clayton's design team developed a prototype at their facilities in Knighton which was tried and tested at several lifeboat station locations around the country to evaluate its performance at as many different working environments as possible. Once these trials had been completed successfully the first tractor was sent to New Brighton on the Wirral, Merseyside. Arriving in November 1990 the tractor and its carriage were used to launch the stations new Atlantic 21 inshore lifeboat.

Working protocols

The MB-4H has been designed to work over varying beach environments and can easily launch and recover inshore lifeboats via an A85 DoDo launch cradle/carriage. It will comfortably work at full power into up to of calm water. The tractor is divided into two sections with the front section housing the power unit, hydraulic oil tank for the front axle, hydraulic pumps, cooling systems and the fuel tank. The rear section houses the rear axle, hydraulic winch with 100 meters of cable, the operator and his/her controls, batteries, electronic control panel, and the drive gear. The driver's seat within the cockpit can face forward or rear, with duplicated controls front and back, allowing the operator flexibility during deployment or retrieval of the DoDo trailer and payload. This allows the combination to drive to the launch site and then reverse round to launch the lifeboat into the sea. The rear-facing controls have the addition of a third foot pedal which is the dead-man control for the winch. The MB-4H has an automatic hydrostatic transmission which gives the tractor an ever-variable ground speed which corresponds to engine speed and ground/sea-bed conditions. To give the tractor excellent handling ability, the vehicle has a pivot steer type with all electrical, mechanical and hydraulic links passing through central wire-reinforced hose. The design allows the tractor to have a steering articulation of 40 degrees to the left or right and results in a turning circle of only ten metres.

Amphibious

The tractor's chassis and cockpit are water resistant and can be made water tight once the engine cooling side hatches have been closed on entering the water. The tractor will operate in broken water up to the depth of the air breather duct if required. The MB-4H's engine compartment is completely water tight. In the event of the tractor becoming in-operable whilst in the water, The operator can leave the cockpit via a roof hatch and the tractor can then be battened down and left on the sea bed in up to a depth of. In this situation the cab is designed to allow entry of sea water to prevent the tractor from floating away and causing only minimal damage to the vehicle, such as the wiper motors, exterior work lights etc. The tractor has been designed with extensive corrosion protection to protect from the very aggressive working environment of the sea water and beach conditions the tractor has to endure. The tractor, in most instances, is fully street legal with headlights, sidelights, brake lights and indicators. Work lights, blue flashing lights and a klaxon are also installed.

RNLI Talus MB-4H Fleet

Op. No.In serviceStationReg No.ImageCurrent Lifeboat Payload
TW 16HH610 SUJ Joan Mary
TW 17H
H593 PUX Leicester Challenge II
TW 18H –2014
2014–present
H710 RUX Spirit of West Norfolk
TW 20H1992–2002
2002–present
J125 WUJAtlantic 85 Richard Wake Burdon
TW 21HJ495 XUJAtlantic 85 Hylton Burdon
TW 22HK501 AUXAtlantic 85
TW 23H2002K805 CUXAtlantic 85
TW 24H1994–2005
2005–present
K313 ENT
93-D-45502		Atlantic 85 William Henry Liddington
TW 25HL807 KNTAtlantic 85 Gladys Mildred
TW 26HM423 OAW
TW 27HM741 RUXAtlantic 85 Rose of the Shires
TW 54HDU02 WEJAtlantic 85 Hello Herbie II
TW 36HN805 XUJAtlantic 85 Maureen Lilian
TW 37HP898 CUXAtlantic 75 Fred Clarke
TW 45HT249 JNTAtlantic 75 Charles Dibdin
TW 46HV938 EAWAtlantic 85 Spirit of Friendship
TW 49H
W652 RNTAtlantic 85 Joy Morris MBE
TW 50HW418 UUJAtlantic 85 Leicester Challenge III
TW 51HX651 BUJAtlantic 75 Tanni Grey
TW 53HDU51 FETAtlantic 75 Pride of Leicester
TW 55HStaithes and RunswickDU52 XGAAtlantic 75 Pride of Leicester
TW 56HDY52 EFRAtlantic 75 Staines Whitfield
TW 58HDX53 VRFAtlantic 85 Doris Joan
TW 57HDX03 UZFAtlantic 75 Alan and Margaret
TW 59HDU04 DVWAtlantic 75 Oxford Town & Gown
TW 60HDX54 UYMAtlantic 85 David Porter
TW 61HDX09 LRZAtlantic 75 Bickerstaffe
TW 62HRelief ?DX59 LHZ