Talus MB-764 is a four-wheel drive launch tractor which was specifically designed for the RNLI, to launch and recover inflatable inshore lifeboats from beach and shorebased launched lifeboat stations. The Tractor is produced by the British company of Clayton Engineering Limited who are based in Knighton, Powys.OS Explorer Map 201 - Knighton and Presteigne Tref-y-clawdd a Dyffryn Elan, Author: Ordnance Survey. Publisher: Ordnance Survey. Work: Folded Map.

Development The MB-764 was the first launch tractor designed and developed in conjunction with the RNLI to launch the institutions smaller inshore inflatable lifeboat fleet. Clayton’s based the design of the MB-764 on Ford County Commercial Cars. At the design and development stage the company presented two Prototype models. The first being the main take up by the RNLI. The first of these launch tractors went into service with the RNLI in 1975 and since then over 30 tractors have been operated by the Institute around the United Kingdom and Ireland. The basic design, operating and performance characteristics have not changed from the initial design concept vehicle, with the exception of the propelled wading capability.

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

RNLI Talus MB-764 fleet Current Location Op. No. Reg No. Station Image Current Pay-load CommentsTW01XTK 150M 1974–1987Claude and Kath (B-947) 1987–1995 Relief fleet 1995–1996 1996–2000 Relief fleet 2000–2002 J 72200 2002–2010XTK 150M Relief fleet 2010–2011 2011–2020 Relief fleet 2020–2024 2024–TW02LRU 581P Relief fleet 1976Rachael Hedderwick (B-876) 1976–1987 1987 1988–1997 1998–2003 Relief fleet 2003–2004 2004–2014 Relief fleet 2014–2015 2015–2023 Relief fleet 2023–2024 2024–2025 Arran (Lamlash) 2025–TW03RLJ 367R 1977–1979Spirit of Loch Fyne (B-857) Relief fleet 1979–1981 1981 Relief fleet 1981–1986 1986–1991 1991–1992 1992–1996 Relief fleet 1996–1998 Arran (Lamlash) 1998–2004 Relief fleet 2004–2005 2005–2012 2012–2014 2015–2016 Relief fleet 2016–2017 2017–2022 Relief fleet 2022–2023 2023–TW04TEL 705R 1977–1994Eric W Wilson (B-841) 1995–2002 2002–2010 Relief fleet 2010–2011 2011–2012 Relief fleet 2012–2014 2014–2017 Relief fleet 2017–2019 J 93085 2019–2025TW05UJT 151S 1977–1978Geoff Pierce (D-903) 1978–1987 Relief fleet 1987–1991 1991–1995 1996–2002 2002–2006 Relief fleet 2006–2007 2007–2011 2012–TW06 VRU 611S 1978–1988James and Deanna Adams (D-889) BMN 476L 1988–1992VRU 611S 1992–1997 1998–2003 Relief fleet 2003–2004 2004 2004–2007 2007–TW07 MAN 49W 1978–1988Louis Simson (B-866)XLJ 796S 1989–1996 1997–2003 88-D-43711 2003–TW08 D508 RUJ 1979–1994Edith Louise Eastwick (B-844) 1995–1996 D508 RUJ 1996–2000 87-CE-3065 2001–TW09PEL 169W1981–1992The Missus Barrie (B-915) 1992–1993 1994–2002 2003–2009 J 93085 2010–2019PEL 169W Relief fleet 2019–2022 2022–TW10VEL 99X 1982–1992Glaneley (B-861) Relief fleet 1992–1994 1994–1998 Relief fleet 1998–2002 Training(Instow) 2003–2006 Relief fleet 2006–2008 2008–2010 Relief fleet 2010–2012 2012–2013 Relief fleet 2013–2017 2017–TW11B251 HUX Relief fleet 1985–1986David Bradley (B-882) 1986–1987 1987–1992 1992–1997 1997–1998 1998–2003 Training (Instow) 2006–2007 2007–2008 2008–2010 Relief fleet 2010–2012 2012–2015 Relief fleet 2015–2016 2016–TW12 D508 RUJ 1987–1994Annette Mary Liddington (B-838) – 1995–1997BPR 667T Relief fleet 1997–2000 2000–2008 2008–2018 Relief fleet 2019–2012 2021–TW13D948 SAW 1987–1996Elaine and Don Wilkinson (B-828) 1997–2002 2002–2009 Relief fleet 2009–2010 2010–2021 Relief fleet 2021–2024 2024–TW14 D659 TNT New Brighton 1987–1990James and Helen Mason (B-862) J 15014 1991–1995 87-D-38843 1996–1999 D659 TNT Relief fleet 1999–2001 87-D-38843 2001–2007D659 TNT Relief fleet 2007–2009 2009–2019 Relief fleet 2019–2020 2020–2022 Relief fleet 2022–2023 2023–TW15E592 WNT 1987–1991Derrick Battle (B-829)Hayling Island Lifeboats. Author: Leach, Nicholas. Publisher:Foxglove Media, 2010 edition. Work: Chapter – 1995 to 2005, page 47: reference to the arrival of TW43 in 1998. Chapter – 2005 to present, Page 54: reference to dates of service of TW43. Relief fleet 1991–1992 1992–1994 1994–1998 1998–2005 Relief fleet 2005–2007 2007–2017 Relief fleet 2017–2018 2018–TW30L123 HUX 1993–1998Geoffrey Charles (B-843) Relief fleet 1998–1999 1999–2005 Relief fleet 2005–2006 2006–2016 Training 2016–2017 Relief fleet 2018–2019 2019–TW31L526 JUJ 1994–1999 Relief fleet 1999–2004 2004–2006 2006–2008 Relief fleet 2008–2009 2009–2019 Relief fleet 2019–2021 2021–2022 Relief fleet 2022–TW32L161 LAW 1994–2000Tommy Niven (B-836) Relief fleet 2000–2003 2003–2014 Relief fleet 2014–2018 2018–2020 Relief fleet 2020–2022 2022–TW33M562 OUX 1996–2001Henrietta H (B-948) Relief fleet 2001–2002 2002–2006 2006–TW34M71 RUX 1996–2001Robert and Isobel Mowat (B-873) Relief fleet 2001–2002 2002–2015 Relief fleet 2015–2016 2016–TW35N506 WNT 1996–2002Alexander (B-875) 2002–2012 2013–2024 Relief fleet 2024–2025 2025–TW38N469 XAW 1997–2003Peter and Ann Setten (B-886) 2003–2013 Relief fleet 2013–2016 2017–TW39 N687 YAW 1997–2004Joyce King (B-869) 96-D-61119 2004–TW40P472 CUJ 1996–2002 Relief fleet 2002–2003 2003–2011 2011–2012 2012–2023 2023–2025 Relief fleet 2025–TW41P301 DAW 1997–2002My Lady Anne (B-884) Relief fleet 2002–2004 Arran (Lamlash) 2004–2013 Relief fleet 2013–2015 2015–2024 Relief fleet 2024–2025 2025–TW42 97-G-8631 1998–2004Gordon and Phil (B-890) R473 UUX Relief fleet 2004–2005 97-G-8631 2005–TW43S540 UNT 1998–2008Just George (B-879) Relief fleet 2008–2009 2009–2017 Relief fleet 2018–2019 2019–TW44S193 RUJ 2000–2007Hereford Endeavour (B-847) Relief fleet 2007–2008 2008–2010 2010–2018 Relief fleet 2018–2020 2020–TW47T315 FLG 2000–2006Davdot (B-958) Relief fleet 2006–200799-D-87952 2007–2021 Relief fleet 2021–2022 2022–TW48V281 EUJ 2000–2009 Relief fleet 2009–2010 2010–2011 Relief fleet 2011–2012 2012–2013 Arran (Lamlash) 2013–2025 Relief 2025–2026TW48J86255St Catherine2026-TW63DS13 LGW 2013–2025 Relief fleet 2025–TW64HG63 VAO 2014–2023R. A. Wilson (B-854) Relief fleet 2023–2025 2025–

See also Fowler Challenger III launch tractor New Holland TC45 launch tractor Talus MB-H launch tractor Talus MB-4H launch tractor Talus Atlantic 85 DO-DO launch carriage

References