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New launching tractor for Margate’s RNLI lifeboat

Lifeboats News Release

Volunteers at Margate’s RNLI lifeboat station are getting to grips with a brand new launch and recovery tractor for their B class lifeboat, the first example of an updated design replacing the station’s faithful Talus crawler tractor.

The old tractor (left) and its brand new replacement on changeover day (RNLI Margate)

RNLI Margate

The old tractor (left) and its brand new replacement on changeover day (RNLI Margate)

When a Mersey class all-weather lifeboat was stationed at Margate in 1991 a purpose-built Talus MB-H crawler tractor replaced the previous Case 1150B modified commercial machine in service with the station’s Rother class lifeboat. Since then three Talus MB-H tractors have served the station, each only superseded by a different one for logistical reasons following refits etc.

In 2021 Margate’s Mersey class lifeboat was replaced by a B class Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat and it made economic sense to retain the same tractor for the B class which is substantially lighter than the Mersey class lifeboat and carriage.

With the Talus MB-H crawler tractors approaching the end of their design life it was decided to replace the one at Margate with a Talus MB-4H Mk III, a new design based on the machine that has been in service for many years with the RNLI and purpose-built for launching the B class inshore lifeboat.

The Talus MB-4H is quite different to its predecessor with four large agricultural-type wheels compared to the previous caterpillar-tracked machine. It is of an articulated configuration with a central hinge and hydraulic steering element which has earned it the name of the ‘Bendy’ tractor.

The drive system is comparable to an automotive automatic transmission system, the vehicle’s motion controlled by a hydraulic control system which depending on the engine throttle setting automatically adjusts the capacity of the hydraulic pump and motors to utilise the available horsepower from the engine.

Powered by a Caterpillar diesel engine it has a towing payload of seven tonnes at speeds up to 19mph (30kph) and can work in a water depth of 1.6m. It has a waterproof protective cab with dual controls for driving in either direction and a hydraulic winch allows driving and winching simultaneously if required for self-recovery.

Margate’s new tractor, numbered TW65H is particularly special for the station in it being the first example of the Mk III version, the latest iteration of the Bendy with all the latest tech and improvements the RNLI has designed for it. It has entered service following three days of intensive training and assessments for the station’s designated volunteer tractor drivers.

Derek Amas, Lifeboat Operations Manager, RNLI Margate said: “Being less complex than the previous Talus crawler, not to mention brand new should make routine maintenance by the station’s volunteers an easier task. It is also sad of course to say farewell to what has been a faithful and capable workhorse that has served us well for 34 years but of course we look forward to the enhancements the new Bendy tractor will bring to our lifesaving service provision.”

Notes to editors

· Margate lifeboat station has been operating since 1860. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/margate-lifeboat-station

RNLI media contacts

For more information please contact:

· Peter Barker, RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 07974 064304 or [email protected]

· Hatti Mellor, Regional Communications Manager on 07724 801305 or [email protected]

· RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.

The new tractor will launch and recover Margate RNLI's B class lifeboat (RNLI Margate)

RNLI Margate

The new tractor will launch and recover Margate RNLI's B class lifeboat (RNLI Margate)

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.

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For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.