Tractors/Towing vehicles
Talus tractor for AWB
The sea "disappears" to up to 1.25 miles out at low water, and so the roles of the 2 tractors are very important. There are numerous gulleys and sandbanks to be negotiated, so the towing vehicles need to be up to the job. There are 2 tractors at Rhyl, 1 for each boat. The offshore boat is towed by the "Talus" tractor, manufactured especially for the RNLI by Biglands, Ltd, of Knighton, Powys. It is driven by hydraulic drives governed by computer-controlled electronics from a 3208t 280 SHP Caterpillar engine, which also drives the hydraulic winch. The vehicle is steered by a joystick, and can be driven from either direction, the seat rotating to face the joystick at either end of the cab. The tractor can tow the boat over the sands at about 10mph. The tractor can rotate 360° using a button on the joystick and turning the stick left or right. It has a towing capacity of up to 50 tonnes, and is watertight to the top of the cab. The new tractor T93 arrived on 16th January 2007. The new winch is a kevlar-core and sheathed braided outer cable, which is lighter than the steel wire and just as strong.
The new tractor T93
Rear view showing winch
Close-up of winch
Interior of cab
Marinised
The photos were of the original tractor, TW33, a marinised county tractor, usually used for towing the Atlantic 21's. The tyres have water in them for additional ballast when going through deep water. Although this tractor has less power than our old County, it is still well suited to the conditions at Rhyl, in that it has to go through gullies which can fill up with water very fast, and also cope with banks of mud up to 300mm deep. It is better protected, being completely marinised, and able to go into deep water to launch the ILB, also to tow the AWB recovery trailer. The tractor is also used to tow the AWB recovery trailer.
Click here to see it in action.
Landrover for ILB
This is a long-wheelbase LandRover 110 Defender TDi, callsign LR74. It is capable of carrying 12 persons, and is able to tow the ILB on the public highway. The LandRover is a welcome addition to our facilities and has been well utilised in towing the ILB; also for carrying crew to the shore for the AWB and also for patrolling the water's edge when lifeguards are not on duty in high season (if required by the Coastguards). It is kept at Rhyl also as a fast response vehicle with the ILB has to go inland to areas near Rhyl where flooding has occurred, such as that in 2000 at Ruthin and Mold.
The vehicle has been sponsored by npower consumables, who control the windfarm offshore at Rhyl.