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