# Talus MB-4H amphibious tractor

Talus MB-4H is a four-wheel-drive launch tractor which was specifically designed for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (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.

## Technical specification

The driver can be seated facing forwards or backwards. The tractor has a steering wheel and throttle pedal for each direction, with fully automatic transmission.
The enclosed cab is fully waterproof, and the vehicle can be operated in calm water to a depth of 1.6m.
Two glazed waterproof boxes containing headlights, side and tail lights, indicators and blue flashing lights, are fitted to both ends of the tractor. There are two cab mounted floodlights at the front and rear.

## RNLI Talus MB-4H Fleet

| Op.No. | Reg No. | Station | In service | Current Lifeboat Payload |
| TW16Hb (Mk.1.5) | H610 SUJ | Aberdovey Relief fleet New Brighton Blackpool Relief fleet Mablethorpe | 1991–1993 1993–1995 1995–2001 2001–2009 2009–2010 2010– | Atlantic 85 Jacqueline Saville (B-887) |
| TW17Hb (Mk.1.5) | H593 PUX | New Brighton Blackpool Relief fleet Redcar Relief fleet Atlantic College Relief fleet Training Relief fleet | 1990–1995 1996–2001 2001–2003 2003–2010 2010–2011 2011–2013 2013–2014 2014–2018 2018– | |
| TW18Hb (Mk.1.5) | H710 RUX | Cullercoats Relief fleet Redcar Flamborough Hunstanton Clacton-on-Sea | 1991–1993 1993–1995 1995–2003 2003–2012 2013–2021 2021– | Atlantic 85 David Porter MPS (B-863) |
| TW19Hc (Mk.2) | J120 VNT | Redcar Relief fleet Newbiggin Hunstanton Relief fleet Rye Harbour Relief fleet Aberystwyth | 1991–1995 1995–1998 1998–1999 1999–2000 2000–2006 2006–2010 2010–2014 2014– | Atlantic 85 Florence and Ernest Bowles (B-937) |
| TW20Hc (Mk.2) | J125 WUJ | Hunstanton Relief fleet Newbiggin Relief fleet New Brighton | 1992–1999 1999–2003 2003–2014 2014–2016 2016– | Atlantic 85 Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No.51) (B-837) |
| TW21Hc (Mk.2) | J495 XUJ | Newbiggin Relief fleet Cullercoats Relief fleet Littlestone-on-Sea Relief fleet | 1992–2003 2003–2004 2004–2017 2017 2017–2023 2023– | |
| TW22Hc (Mk.2) | K501 AUX | Cullercoats Relief fleet Sheringham Newbiggin | 1993–2004 2004–2005 2005–2015 2015– | Atlantic 85 Richard Wake Burdon (B-864) |
| TW23Hc (Mk.2) | K805 CUX | Flamborough Hunstanton Relief fleet Whitstable | 1993–2003 2003–2013 2013–2014 2014– | Atlantic 85 Lewisco (B-877) |
| TW24Hc (Mk.2) | K313 ENT 93-D-45502 | Sheringham Bundoran | 1994–2005 2005– | Atlantic 85 William Henry Liddington (B-834) |
| TW25Hc (Mk.2) | L807 KNT | Bundoran Newquay Happisburgh Relief fleet | 1994–2005 2006–2017 2018–2023 2023– | |
| TW26Hc (Mk.2) | M423 OAW | Newquay Penarth Relief fleet Blackpool | 1995–2006 2006–2021 2021–2022 2022– | Atlantic 85 William and Eleanor (B-867) |
| TW27Hc (Mk.2) | M741 RUX | Penarth Relief fleet Porthcawl Relief fleet Sheringham | 1996–2006 2006–2008 2008–2015 2015–2022 2022– | Atlantic 85 The Oddfellows (B-818) |
| TW28H (Mk.3) | N671 UAW | Rye Harbour Relief fleet Aberystwyth Relief fleet Trials | 1996–2006 2006–2013 2013–2014 2014–2019 2019– | |
| TW29Hc (Mk.2) | N144 WUJ | Porthcawl Relief fleet Happisburgh Relief fleet Porthcawl | 1996–2008 2008–2009 2009–2012 2012–2015 2015– | Atlantic 85 Rose Of The Shires (B-832) |
| TW36Hc (Mk.2) | N805 XUJ | Relief fleet Criccieth Training(Instow) Relief fleet Happisburgh Relief fleet Looe | 1996–1997 1997–2003 2003–2007 2007–2012 2012–2017 2018–2019 2019– | Atlantic 85 Sheila & Dennis Tongue II (B-894) |
| TW37Hc (Mk.2) | P898 CUX | Relief fleet Hunstanton Relief fleet Littlestone-on-Sea Sheringham Newquay | 1996–2000 2000–2003 2003–2008 2008–2015 2015–2017 2017– | Atlantic 85 Uncle Johnny (B-936) |
| TW45Ha (Mk.1) | T249 JNT | Littlestone-on-Sea New Brighton Relief fleet Cardigan Relief fleet | 1999–2008 2008–2016 2016–2023 2023–2024 2024– | |
| TW46Hb (Mk.1.5) | V938 EAW | New Brighton Relief fleet Aberystwyth Rye Harbour Relief fleet Sheringham Flamborough Relief fleet Cardigan | 2001–2008 2008–2009 2009–2013 2013–2014 2014–2017 2017–2022 2022–2023 2023–2024 2024– | Atlantic 85 Albatross (B-871) |
| TW49Hb (Mk.1.5) | W652 RNT | Whitstable Relief fleet St Bees | 2000–2008 2008–2010 2010– | Atlantic 85 Joy Morris MBE (B-831) |
| TW50Hb (Mk.1.5) | W419 UUJ | St Bees Redcar | 2000–2010 2010– | Atlantic 85 Leicester Challenge III (B-858) |
| TW51Hb (Mk.1.5) | X651 BUJ | Mablethorpe Relief fleet Cardigan Relief fleet | 2001–2010 2010–2011 2011–2023 2023– | |
| TW52Hc (Mk.2) | Y506 JNT | Cardigan Relief fleet Flamborough Relief fleet Flamborough | 2002–2011 2011–2012 2012–2022 2022–2023 2023– | Atlantic 85 Elizabeth Jane Palmer (B-820) |
| TW53Hb (Mk.1.5) | DU51 FET | Atlantic College Relief fleet Staithes and Runswick | 2002–2011 2011–2012 2012– | Atlantic 85 Sheila & Dennis Tongue III (B-897) |
| TW54Hc (Mk.2) | DU02 WEJ | Aberystwyth Relief fleet Staithes and Runswick Relief fleet Rye Harbour Relief fleet | 2002–2009 2009–2011 2011–2012 2012–2014 2014–2020 2020– | |
| TW55Hc (Mk.2) | DU52 XGA | Staithes and Runswick Relief fleet Burnham-on-Sea | 2003–2011 2011–2017 2017– | Atlantic 85 Doris Day and Brian (B-914) |
| TW56Hc (Mk.2) | DY52 EFR | Burnham-on-Sea Relief fleet Rye Harbour | 2003–2017 2017–2020 2020– | Atlantic 85 Hello Herbie II (B-900) |
| TW57Hc (Mk.2) | DX03 UZF | Looe Relief fleet Hunstanton | 2003–2019 2019–2021 2021– | Atlantic 85 Spirit of West Norfolk (B-848) |
| TW58Hc (Mk.2) | DX53 VRF | Criccieth Relief fleet Littlestone-on-Sea Relief fleet | 2003–2013 2013–2015 2015–2017 2018– | |
| TW59Hc (Mk.2) | DU04 DVW | Relief fleet Whitstable Relief fleet Newbiggin Relief fleet Cullercoats | 2004–2008 2008–2014 2014 2014–2015 2015–2017 2017– | Atlantic 85 Daddy's Girl (B-935) |
| TW60Hc (Mk.2) | DX54 UYM | Clacton-on-Sea Relief fleet Penarth | 2006–2021 2021 2021– | Atlantic 85 Maureen Lilian (B-839) |
| TW61Hb (Mk.1.5) | DX09 LRZ | Blackpool Relief fleet Littlestone-on-Sea | 2009–2022 2022–2024 2024– | Atlantic 85 Jean McIvor (B-922) |
| TW62Hb (Mk.1.5) | DX59 LHZ | Rye Harbour Criccieth | 2010–2013 2013– | Atlantic 85 Frank Townley (B-938) |
| TW65H (Mk.3) | HF24 BWO | Margate | 2024– | Atlantic 85 Colonel Stock (B930) |
| TW66H (Mk.3) | | | | |
* ↑ Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the tractor.