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 launch and recovery vehicles 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 vehicles 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

Softrac for ILB

   side view

   rear view   cab view   front view

Our Marinised County tractor TW44 was transferred from Rhyl to Burry Port (South Wales) on 6th July 2010. We were given Burry Port's Softrac in it's place. The Softrac is slightly slower than the old County, but we will use the Landrover for low water launches where speed is required. The Softrac is able to carry 3 in the cab and up to 6 on the rear tipping body with bench seats. Once the trials with the Tracked LandRover (see below) are completed, it is anticipated this vehicle will be taken from station (2 January 2012)

Landrover for ILB

This is a  long-wheelbase LandRover 110 Defender TDi, callsign LR102. It is capable of carrying 7 persons, and is able to tow the ILB on the public highway. The LandRover is also used 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). The Landrover was placed on station in February 2009, replacing the original LandRover donated by npower renewables in 2004. This vehicle was taken to Divisional base on 2 January 2012, to remain there until trials with the Tracked LandRover are completed.

Recovery Trailer

This trailer carries the nylon "skids" over which the AWB is pulled after beaching. 2 Of these are modified and double the thickness at one end, so the bilge keels will sit on these to keep the boat on an even keel, but with the stern lifted up, so the AWB carriage can be pushed up and the boat pulled on to the carriage. This trailer can be towed either by the LandRover or the SofTrac.

Trial vehicle from 14 December 2011 - Tracked LandRover
This vehicle is a normal Landrover Defender Tdi vehicle (callsign LR83), but the wheels have been replaced with tracks to provide a lighter footprint on soft ground such as the sandbanks we have at Rhyl. The chassis and underside have been galvanised to provide protection, and the inside floors and walls have been treated with metallic paint to resist corrosion. The vehicle is limited to about 40mph. It is provided with a demountable winch unit, which can be placed on the front or the rear of the vehicle, thus giving a wide scope for launch and recovery situations. New LED lights and strobe bar replace the original blue flashing light bar and work lights. The front tracks are steered as normal via the steering wheel and front hubs, and the vehicle has the capability of lifting the footprint of the tracks slightly for road use, to reduce wear on the rubber. The vehicle is at Rhyl for approximately 3 months from December 2011.

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