Talus MB-H amphibious tractor

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]

TypeLaunch vehicle

ManufacturerClayton Engineering Limited

Production31

Length216 in (5.5 m)

Quick facts Type, Manufacturer ...

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)

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.

On 18 December 2025, the last RNLI Mersey-class All-weather lifeboat, 12-20 Leonard Kent (ON 1177) at Newcastle Lifeboat Station, County Down, was withdrawn from service. A final carriage launch, with the aid of the Talus MB-H (T-120), took place on 11 January 2026. The Newcastle Mersey-class was replaced with 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. 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.

All of the following fleet details are referenced to the 2026 Lifeboat Enthusiast Society Handbook, with information retrieved directly from RNLI records.^[3]

Talus MB-H fleet

More information Op.No., Reg No. ...

Op.No.^[a]	Reg No.	Station	In service^[3]	Pay-load	Comments
T91	UAW 558Y	Trials	1982–1983	–	^[4]
		Hoylake	1983–1986
		Relief fleet	1986–1993
		Wells-next-the-Sea	1993–1995
		Relief fleet	1995–1997
		Rhyl	1997–2007
		Relief fleet	2007–2008
		Llandudno	2008–2017
		Relief fleet	2017–2019
		Minehead	2019–2023
		Storage	2023–
T92	A462 AUX	Rhyl	1984–1997	–
		Hoylake	1997–2007
		Relief fleet	2007–2008
		Ilfracombe	2008–2015
		Relief fleet	2015–2019
		Clovelly	2019–2020
		Relief fleet	2020–
T93	A496 CUX	Skegness	1984–1995	–	^[5] New owner Pett Level Independent Rescue Boat, Pett Level East Sussex, August 2026.
		Relief fleet	1995–1996
		Dungeness	1996–2005
		Relief fleet	2005–2007
		Rhyl	2007–2019
T94	B567 FAW	Relief fleet	1984–1986	B-class (Atlantic 85) Toby Rundle (B-872)
		Hoylake	1986–1997
		Relief fleet	1997–1999
		Llandudno	1999–2008
		Relief fleet	2008–2011
		Pwllheli	2011–2022
		Relief fleet	2022–2024
		Clovelly	2024–
T95	B188 GAW	Hastings	1985	–	^[6] Being broken for spares, July 2026.
		Dungeness	1985–1996
		Hastings	1997–2007
		Relief fleet	2007–2008
		Lytham St Annes	2008–2018
T96	B668 HUJ	Hastings	1985–1997	B-class (Atlantic 75) Tommy C	^[7]
		North Sunderland	1998–2006
		Wells-next-the-Sea	2006–2023
		Ballybunion (Ind)	2023–
T97	C282 LNT	North Sunderland	1986–1998	B-class (Atlantic 85) Hugh Miles (B-896)
		Ilfracombe	1998–1999
		Relief fleet	1999–2004
		Barmouth	2004
		Relief fleet	2004–2010
	85-D-8571	Clogherhead	2010–2013
	C282 LNT	Relief fleet	2013–2014
	C282 LNT	Aberdovey	2014–
T98	C168 NAW	Sheringham	1986–1992	–
		Relief fleet	1992–1996
		Cromer	1996–1999
		Relief fleet	1999–2000
		Pwllheli	2000–2011
		Training (Hurn)	2011
		Relief fleet	2011–2013
	86-D-120010	Clogherhead	2013–2019
	C168 NAW	Relief fleet	2019–2020
		Clovelly	2020–2024
		Storage	2024–
T99	C82 NUX	Wells-next-the-Sea	1986–1993	–
		Relief fleet	1993–1995
		Wells-next-the-Sea	1995–2006
		Relief fleet	2006–2007
		Hoylake	2007–2014
		Relief fleet	2014–
T100	D466 RAW	Bridlington	1986–1998	B-class (Atlantic 85) Hounslow Branch (B-950)
		Relief fleet	1998–1999
		Ilfracombe	1999–2008
		Relief fleet	2008–2009
		Bembridge	2009–2010
		Relief fleet	2010–2011
		New Quay	2011–2023
		Storage	2023–2024
		Walmer	2025–
T101	D335 SUJ	Ilfracombe	1987–1998	B-class (Atlantic 85) Penny J II (B-939)	^[8]
		Relief fleet	1998–2000
		Bridlington	2000–2008
		Relief fleet	2008–2015
	MMN 258H	Ramsey	2015–2021
	D335 SUJ	Relief fleet	2022–2023
	D335 SUJ	Minehead	2023–
T102	E387 VAW	Llandudno	1987–1999	Atlantic 85-class Howard Bell (B-899)
		Relief fleet	1999–2001
		New Quay	2001–2011
		Relief fleet	2011–2013
		Filey	2013–2019
		Relief fleet	2019–2021
		Aldeburgh	2021–
T103	E589 WAW	Pwllheli	1987–2001	–
		Scarborough	2001–2015
		Relief fleet	2015–2016
T104	E269 YUJ	Newcastle	1988–1999	B-class (Atlantic 85) Marjorie Shepherd (B-928)
	E269 YUJ	Relief fleet	1999–2001
	88-LH-3977	Clogherhead	2001–2010
	E269 YUJ	Relief fleet	2010–2012
		Anstruther	2012–2016
		Relief fleet	2016–2019
		Filey	2019–
T105	–	Clogherhead	1988–2001	–	Sold to Caldey Island to be used to tow a low water landing stage. Flooded in 2021, replaced with T117.
	E837 XNT	Relief fleet	2001–2002
	FMN 664V	Ramsey	2002–2015
	E837 XNT	Relief fleet	2015
T106	F760 BUJ	Scarborough	1988–2001	MST Rescue 900 RIB E-ON Spirit of Maryport
		Relief fleet	2001–2003
		Filey	2003–2013
		Relief fleet	2013–2015
		Maryport Rescue (Ind)	2017–
T107	F415 EAW	Kilmore Quay	1989–2001	–
		Lytham St Annes	2001–2008
		Relief fleet	2008–2013
		Margate	2013–2024
		Storage	2024–
T108	F133 FUJ	St Ives	1989–1997	–	^[9]
		Relief fleet	1997–1998
		Bridlington	1998–2000
	–	Kilmore Quay	2001–2003
	F133 FUJ	Training (Instow)	2003–2006
		Stored	2006–2007
		Cromer	2007–2008
		Relief fleet	2008–2009
		Exmouth	2009–2014
		Relief fleet	2014–2019
	1222 MN	Peel	2019–2021
	1222 MN	Ramsey	2021–2022
	F133 FUJ	Relief fleet	2022
T109	G296 KUX	Filey	1990–2003	–
		Margate	2003–2013
		Relief fleet	2013–2015
		Training	2015
		Relief fleet	2015–2016
T110	–	Ramsey	1990–2002	–
	G751 MNT	Anstruther	2003–2012
		Relief fleet	2012–2016
		Anstruther	2016–2024
		Relief fleet	2024–
T111	H926 PUJ	Margate	1991–2003	Alicat 5m RIB Fred Dyble II	^[10]
	H926 PUJ	Relief fleet	2003–2004
	1222 MN	Peel	2004–2019
	H926 PUJ	Caister (Ind)	2020–
T112	H977 SNT	Anstruther	1991–2003	Ribcraft 6.4m-Pro RIB The Freemason
		Relief fleet	2003–2017
		Ferryside Lifeboat (Ind)	2017–
T113	J794 VUX	New Quay	1992–2001	–
		Relief fleet	2001–2003
		Filey	2003
		Relief fleet	2003–2006
		St Ives	2006–2015
		Relief fleet	2015–2016
		Training	2016–
T114	1222 MN	Peel	1992–2004	–	^[11] Sold - now in private collection in Exmouth for restoration.
T114	J126 WUJ	Skegness	2005–2017	–
T115	K499 AUX	Relief fleet	1993–2005	–	Sold - Currently in Aldeburgh launching Fishing Vessels.^[12]
T115	K499 AUX	Aldeburgh	2005–2021	–
T116	K920 DUJ	Aldeburgh	1993–2005	B-class (Atlantic 75) Sea Weaver (ex B-762)
		Dungeness	2005–2014
		Relief fleet	2014–2015
		Training	2015–2017
		Hemsby (Ind)	2021–
T117	L784 JNT	Relief fleet	1994–1995	–	^[11]Sold to Caldey Island to be used to tow a low water landing stage, replacing T105. Reported decommissioned in October 2025.
		Skegness	1995–2005
		Relief fleet	2005–2006
		Seahouses	2006–2021
T118	M224 SNT	St Ives	1997–2006	Ribcraft Pro-800 RIB Wildlands
		Newcastle	2006–2022
		ESRA (Ind.)	2022–
T119	N470 XAW	Newcastle	1999–2006	–	^[13]
		Relief fleet	2006–2007
		Hastings	2007–2019
		Walmer	2019–2025
		Relief fleet	2025–
T120	P514 HAW	Lytham	1999–2001	–
		Relief fleet	2001–2008
		Bridlington	2008–2017
		Relief fleet	2018–2022
		Newcastle	2022–2023
		Relief fleet	2023–2024
		Newcastle	2024–
T121	DX04 YZG	Barmouth	1992–2019	–
		Relief fleet	2019–2023
		Newcastle	2023–2024
		Storage	2024–

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

Notes

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 (2026). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2026. Lifeboats Enthusiasts Society. pp. 88–90.
[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 9781843064237
[6]
"A Man and his Beast". Photos from the Lytham St Annes Station of their new Talus MB-H (T95). 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 (T103). 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 9781843064237
[12]
Geko Nautic. "Aldeburgh Post".
[13]
"Hastings Lifeboat Station – RNLI website". Home page of the Hastings station. RNLI © 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2016.

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Talus MB-H amphibious tractor

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