Talus MB-4H amphibious tractor

Talus MB-4H

Talus MB-4H RNLI Launch Vehicle
Type Launch vehicle
Manufacturer Clayton Engineering Limited[1]
Length 4.475 m (176.2 in)
Width 2.66 m (105 in)
Height 2.75 in (0.070 m)
Weight 9.8 Tonnes
Propulsion 4 wheel drive
Engine model Caterpillar 3114,
4 cylinder, 4.4 litre, Turbo Diesel
Gross power 105 hp (78 kW)
Drawbar pull 5 Tonnes
Speed 22 miles (35 km)

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.[2] The Tractor is produced by the British company of Clayton Engineering Limited who are based in Knighton, Powys.[3] The tractor plays an important role and is reliable link within the operations required to be carry out the task of 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.[4]

Working protocols

The MB-4H has been designed to work over varying beach environments and can easily launch and recover inshore lifeboats via a A85 DoDo (drive-on, drive-off) launch cradle/carriage. It will comfortably work at full power into up to 2 metres (6.6 ft) of calm water.[2] 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.[5] 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 4.0 metres (13.1 ft). 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 wit 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.

The MB-4H 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, and gives the tractor excellent handling ability. 
The drive has a choice of facing forward or to the rear, as seen here. The cockpit has duplicated controls front and back, allowing the operator flexibility during deployment or retrieval of the DoDo trailer and payload. Also at the rear position is a third foot pedal which is the dead-man control for the winch. 
 
 
 

RNLI Talus MB-4H Fleet

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
Op. No.[lower-alpha 1] In service Station Reg No. Image Current Lifeboat Payload
TW 16H Mablethorpe H610 SUJ Atlantic 75 Joan Mary (B-778)
TW 17H Redcar
Atlantic College		 H593 PUX[6] Atlantic 21 Leicester Challenge II (B-580)
TW 18H         –2014
2014–present		 Flamborough
Hunstanton		 H710 RUX Atlantic 85 Spirit of West Norfolk (B-848)
TW 20H 1992–2002
2002–present		 Hunstanton[7]
Newbiggin-by-the-Sea		 J125 WUJ Atlantic 85 Richard Wake Burdon (B-864)
TW 21H Cullercoats[8] J495 XUJ Atlantic 85 Hylton Burdon (B-11)
TW 22H Sheringham K501 AUX Atlantic 85 The Oddfellows (B-818)
TW 23H 2002 Hunstanton K805 CUX Atlantic 85
TW 24H 1994–2005
2005–present		 Sheringham[9]
Bundoran[10]		 K313 ENT
93-D-45502		 Atlantic 85 William Henry Liddington (B-834)
TW 25H Newquay L807 KNT Atlantic 85 Gladys Mildred (B-821)
TW 26H M423 OAW
TW 27H[11] Porthcawl[12] M741 RUX Atlantic 85 Rose of the Shires (B-832)
TW 28H Rye Harbour N671 UAW Atlantic 85 Hello Herbie (B-842)
TW 36H Penarth N805 XUJ Atlantic 85 Maureen Lilian (B-839)
TW 37H Littlestone-on-Sea P898 CUX Atlantic 75 Fred Clarke (B-785)
TW 45H New Brighton[4] T249 JNT Atlantic 75 Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No. 51) (B-837)
TW 46H Aberystwyth V938 EAW Atlantic 85 Spirit of Friendship (B-822)
TW 49H Whitstable
St Bees		 W652 RNT Atlantic 85 Joy Morris MBE (B-831)
TW 50H Redcar W418 UUJ Atlantic 85 Leicester Challenge III (B-858)
TW 51H Cardigan X651 BUJ Atlantic 75 Tanni Grey (B-752)
TW 53H Staithes and Runswick DU51 EET Atlantic 75 Pride of Leicester (B-788)
TW 54H DU02 WEJ
TW 55H Staithes and Runswick[13] DU52 XGA[14] Atlantic 75 Pride of Leicester (B-788)
TW 56H Burnham-on-Sea DY52 EFR Atlantic 75 Staines Whitfield (B-795)
TW 58H Criccieth DX53 VRF Atlantic 85 Doris Joan (B-823)
TW 57H Looe DX03 UZF Atlantic 75 Alan and Margaret (B-793)
TW 59H Whitstable DU04 DVW Atlantic 75 Oxford Town & Gown (B-764)
TW 60H Clacton-on-Sea DX54 UYM Atlantic 85 David Porter (B-863)
TW 61H Blackpool DX09 LRZ Atlantic 75 Bickerstaffe (B-748)
TW 62H Relief ? DX59 LHZ
  1. ↑ Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the tractor.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Clayton Engineering Ltd – Home Page". Home Page of Company web-site. Clayton Engineering Ltd. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Talus MB-4H Tractor". Description and details of the Model. Clayton Engineering Limited. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  3. ↑ OS Explorer Map 201 - Knighton and Presteigne Tref-y-clawdd a Dyffryn Elan, Author: Ordnance Survey. Publisher: Ordnance Survey. Work: Folded Map. ISBN 9780319237588
  4. 1 2 "New Brighton Lifeboat Station - RNLI". RNLI - Station Website – History – Reference to new tractor and lifeboat. RNLI. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
  5. ↑ "A85 DO-DO Carriage – Clayton Engineering". Details of the Clayton DoDo launch carriage. Clayton Engineering Ltd. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
  6. ↑ "RNLI stations West Wales and Southwest England – Talus Launch Tractor". Photograph of TW17H at Atlantic College. © 2009-2014 Irish Lifeboats. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  7. ↑ Hunstanton Lifeboats. Author: Leach, Nicholas. Publisher:Tempus Publishing, First edition,2008. Works: Page 63, Reference to the arrival of the new Talus (TW20H0) on station in 1992. ISBN 9 780752 447490
  8. ↑ "Cullercoats Lifeboat Station – RNLI website". Home page of the Cullercoats station. RNLI © 2014. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  9. ↑ Sheringham Lifeboats: By Leach, Nicholas and Russell, Paul :Published by landmark Pub Ltd, 2009.Work: Page 85, reference to the arrival of TW24H in 1994. ISBN 978-1-84306-473-2
  10. ↑ "Bundoran". Photograph of TW24H in the boathouse at Bundoran. © 2009-2014 Irish Lifeboats. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  11. ↑ "RNLI stations West Wales and Southwest England – Talus Launch Tractor". Photograph of TW27H. © 2009-2014 Irish Lifeboats. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  12. ↑ "Porthcawl Lifeboat Station". Home page of the Porthcawl station. RNLI © 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  13. ↑ "Staithes and Runswick Lifeboat Station – RNLI website". Home page of the Staithes and Runswick station. RNLI © 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  14. ↑ "Staithes Town - Staithes Inshore Lifeboat Equipment". Photos of the Talus MB-4H (TW55H). RNLI © 2014. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
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