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]

The Mersey-class has been 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. As of September 2025, only two Mersey-class All-weather lifeboats remain in service with the RNLI, and only one is carriage launched, with the aid of the Talus MB-H. Newcastle Lifeboat Station will receive a B-class (Atlantic 85) and Talus MB-4H in late 2025.

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.

The information is correct with reference to the Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2025 unless noted otherwise.^[3]

Talus MB-H fleet

Op.No.[a]	Reg No.	Station	In service[3]	Image	Pay-load	Comments
T91	UAW 558Y	Trials Hoylake Relief fleet Wells-next-the-Sea Relief fleet Rhyl Relief fleet Llandudno Relief fleet Minehead Storage	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 Clovelly	1984–1986 1986–1997 1997–1999 1999–2008 2008–2011 2011–2022 2022–2024 2024–		B-class (Atlantic 85) Toby Rundle (B-872)
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 Storage	1986–1992 1992–1996 1996–1999 1999–2000 2000–2011 2011 2011–2013 2013–2019 2019–2020 2020–2024 2024–
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	D466 RAW	Bridlington Relief fleet Ilfracombe Relief fleet Bembridge Relief fleet New Quay Storage	1986–1998 1998–1999 1999–2008 2008–2009 2009–2010 2010–2011 2011–2023 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–		Atlantic 85-class Howard Bell (B-899)
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 Rescue (Ind)	1988–2001 2001–2003 2003–2013 2013–2015 2017–		MST Rescue 900 RIB E-ON Spirit of Maryport
T107	F415 EAW	Kilmore Quay Lytham St Annes Relief fleet Margate Storage	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 Lifeboat (Ind)	1991–2003 2003–2017 2017–		Ribcraft 6.4m-Pro 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			Sold - Currently in Aldeburgh launching Fishing Vessels.[12]
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			[Sold 2]
T118	M224 SNT	St Ives Newcastle ESRA (Ind.)	1997–2006 2006–2022 2022–		Ribcraft Pro-800 RIB Wildlands
T119	N470 XAW	Newcastle Relief fleet Hastings Walmer	1999–2006 2006–2007 2007–2019 2019–		B-class (Atlantic 85) Donald McLoughlin (B-808)	[13]
T120	P514 HAW	Lytham Relief fleet Bridlington Relief fleet Newcastle Relief fleet Newcastle	1999–2001 2001–2008 2008–2017 2018–2022 2022–2023 2023–2024 2024–		Mersey-class 12-20 Leonard Kent (ON 1177)
T121	DX04 YZG	Barmouth Relief fleet Newcastle Storage	1992–2019 2019–2023 2023–2024 2024–

1. Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat or vehicle carried on the hull.

See also

• List of RNLI stations
• List of former RNLI stations
• Independent lifeboats in Britain and Ireland
• 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

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

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 (2025). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2025. Lifeboats Enthusiasts Society. pp. 107–109.
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. 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. Geko Nautic. "Aldeburgh Post".
13. "Hastings Lifeboat Station – RNLI website". Home page of the Hastings station. RNLI © 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2016.