Talus MB-4H amphibious tractor

Development & History

Developed jointly with the RNLI, the Talus MB-4H is the first tractor to be specifically designed for the task of launching inflatable lifeboats. Previous lifeboat tractors had been converted from commercial designs.

It was necessary to design a special tractor because commercial designs were becoming more difficult and costly to adapt and could not meet the RNLI requirements, such as ground clearance, steering ability and full waterproofing.

Development took place at Knighton, at the Company Test facility. The prototype was then tested at lifeboat stations with the most arduous launching conditions. Trials were completed and the first tractor went on station at New Brighton in November 1990.

In 2016, Bundoran Talus "TW 24H" underwent a complete refit.

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