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 lifeboat, from beach-launched lifeboat stations. In total, 31 tractors were manufactured by Clayton Engineering Limited of Knighton, Powys.OS Explorer Map 201 - Knighton and Presteigne Tref-y-clawdd a Dyffryn Elan, Author: Ordnance Survey. Publisher: Ordnance Survey. Work: Folded Map.

The Mersey-class has been replaced mostly with the new All-weather lifeboat, which uses the new Shannon Launch and Recovery System (SLARS) from Supacat and Clayton Engineering, or in some locations, with a Inshore lifeboat.

On 18 December 2025, the last RNLI All-weather lifeboat, 12-20 Leonard Kent (ON 1177) at Newcastle Lifeboat Station, County Down, was withdrawn from service.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 Mersey-class was replaced with a 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.

Talus MB-H fleet Op.No. Reg No. Station Image Pay-load CommentsT91UAW 558Y Trials 1982–1983– 1983–1986 Relief fleet 1986–1993 1993–1995 Relief fleet 1995–1997 1997–2007 Relief fleet 2007–2008 2008–2017 Relief fleet 2017–2019 2019–2023 Storage 2023–T92A462 AUX 1984–1997– 1997–2007 Relief fleet 2007–2008 2008–2015 Relief fleet 2015–2019 2019–2020 Relief fleet 2020–T93A496 CUX 1984–1995–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. New owner Pett Level Independent Rescue Boat, Pett Level East Sussex, August 2026. Relief fleet 1995–1996 1996–2005 Relief fleet 2005–2007 2007–2019 T94B567 FAW Relief fleet 1984–1986Toby Rundle (B-872) 1986–1997 Relief fleet 1997–1999 1999–2008 Relief fleet 2008–2011 2011–2022 Relief fleet 2022–2024 2024–T95B188 GAW 1985–Being broken for spares, July 2026. 1985–1996 1997–2007 Relief fleet 2007–2008 2008–2018T96B668 HUJ 1985–1997Tommy C 1998–2006 2006–2023 Ballybunion (Ind) 2023–T97C282 LNT 1986–1998Hugh Miles (B-896) 1998–1999 Relief fleet 1999–2004 2004 Relief fleet 2004–2010 85-D-8571 2010–2013C282 LNT Relief fleet 2013–2014 2014–T98C168 NAW 1986–1992– Relief fleet 1992–1996 1996–1999 Relief fleet 1999–2000 2000–2011 Training (Hurn) 2011 Relief fleet 2011–2013 2013–2019C168 NAW Relief fleet 2019–2020 2020–2024 Storage 2024–T99C82 NUX 1986–1993– Relief fleet 1993–1995 1995–2006 Relief fleet 2006–2007 2007–2014 Relief fleet 2014–T100D466 RAW 1986–1998Hounslow Branch (B-950) Relief fleet 1998–1999 1999–2008 Relief fleet 2008–2009 2009–2010 Relief fleet 2010–2011 2011–2023 Storage 2023–2024 2025–T101D335 SUJ 1987–1998Penny J II (B-939)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. Relief fleet 1998–2000 2000–2008 Relief fleet 2008–2015 MMN 258H 2015–2021D335 SUJ Relief fleet 2022–2023 2023–T102E387 VAW 1987–1999Howard Bell (B-899) Relief fleet 1999–2001 2001–2011 Relief fleet 2011–2013 2013–2019 Relief fleet 2019–2021 2021–T103E589 WAW 1987–2001– 2001–2015 Relief fleet 2015–2016T104E269 YUJ 1988–1999 Relief fleet 1999–2001 88-LH-3977 2001–2010E269 YUJ Relief fleet 2010–2012 2012–2016 Relief fleet 2016–2019 2019–T105 – 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 2002–2015 E837 XNT Relief fleet 2015T106F760 BUJ 1988–2001 Relief fleet 2001–2003 2003–2013 Relief fleet 2013–2015 Maryport Rescue (Ind) 2017–T107F415 EAW 1989–2001– 2001–2008 Relief fleet 2008–2013 2013–2024 Storage 2024–T108F133 FUJ 1989–1997– Relief fleet 1997–1998 1998–2000 – 2001–2003F133 FUJ Training (Instow) 2003–2006 Stored 2006–2007 2007–2008 Relief fleet 2008–2009 2009–2014 Relief fleet 2014–20191222 MN 2019–2021 2021–2022 F133 FUJ Relief fleet 2022T109G296 KUX 1990–2003– 2003–2013 Relief fleet 2013–2015 Training 2015 Relief fleet 2015–2016T110 – 1990–2002–G751 MNT 2003–2012 Relief fleet 2012–2016 2016–2024 Relief fleet 2024–T111H926 PUJ 1991–2003 Relief fleet 2003–2004 1222 MN 2004–2019 H926 PUJ Caister (Ind) 2020–T112H977 SNT 1991–2003Ribcraft 6.4m-Pro RIBThe Freemason Relief fleet 2003–2017 2017–T113J794 VUX 1992–2001– Relief fleet 2001–2003 2003 Relief fleet 2003–2006 2006–2015 Relief fleet 2015–2016 Training 2016–T114 1222 MN 1992–2004–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. Sold - now in private collection in Exmouth for restoration. J126 WUJ 2005–2017T115K499 AUX Relief fleet 1993–2005–Sold - Currently in Aldeburgh launching Fishing Vessels. 2005–2021T116K920 DUJ 1993–2005Sea Weaver (ex B-762) 2005–2014 Relief fleet 2014–2015 Training 2015–2017 Hemsby (Ind) 2021–T117L784 JNT Relief fleet 1994–1995–Sold to Caldey Island to be used to tow a low water landing stage, replacing T105. Reported decommissioned in October 2025. 1995–2005 Relief fleet 2005–2006 2006–2021T118M224 SNT 1997–2006Ribcraft Pro-800 RIBWildlands 2006–2022 ESRA (Ind.) 2022–T119N470 XAW 1999–2006– Relief fleet 2006–2007 2007–2019 2019–2025 Relief fleet 2025–T120P514 HAW 1999–2001– Relief fleet 2001–2008 2008–2017 Relief fleet 2018–2022 2022–2023 Relief fleet 2023–2024 2024–T121DX04 YZG 1992–2019– Relief fleet 2019–2023 2023–2024 Storage 2024–

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

References