The pride and joy of Happisburgh RNLI
be no margin for error. New Holland has worked closely with many of the RNLI’s lifeboat stations throughout the UK to tailor solutions for its operational needs.
T
The Happisburgh station in Norfolk is typical. Like other RNLI locations, it obviously needs reliable tractors to launch and recover the lifeboats, but they also demand machines that resist
he Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) knows that when saving lives is at stake there can
operation, and New Holland’s unique SuperSteer™ front axle that gives a 76-degree turning radius for incredible manoeuvrability. The tractor was liberally undersealed to resist the saline atmosphere, although Happisburgh staff faithfully hose down the machine after every operation.
“We considered many different tractors from various manufacturers, as well as several within New Holland’s line-up, and the TC45D was the perfect combination of compactness and performance,” says Bronson Fargo, Chairman of the RNLI Happisburgh Lifeboat Station.
Happisburgh staff particularly
appreciate the SuperSteer™ feature. A tight turn has to be made from the shed, and then the lifeboat is towed down a narrow ramp to the sea. The boat is transported on a front-mounted trailer, and SuperSteer™ gives greater control in a confi ned space.
the corrosive sea air, and which can negotiate areas with restricted access.
John Vallis of Ernest Doe, New Holland’s Colchester based dealership, has worked closely with the RNLI’s Engineering Department, in Poole, to achieve the ideal solution.
The result was a 45hp TC45D model with hydrostatic transmission for easy
■ The RLNI volunteers at Happisburgh in Norfolk put their TC45D through its paces during a routine Sunday morning training exercise.
“It was painstaking to get the
specifi cation just right,” says John Vallis. “We recommended turf tyres for the TC45D because conventional agricultural ones might tend to dig into the sand. Turf tyres also grip the wet timber launching ramp better. The tractor also had to have a road going specifi cation in order to retrieve boats from different
coastal locations if necessary. The TC45D meets appropriate DVLC criteria.”
Happisburgh is one of many RNLI stations with tailor-made New Holland tractor solutions. They are based as afar afi eld as St Ives, Swansea, Sunderland and Ireland. The business relationship began some 25 years ago through Mike Ford of C.R. Wilcocks & Co Ltd, the New Holland dealership in Newton Abbot, near RNLI Engineering in Poole. “Each beach has its own characteristics,” he says, “but New Holland can customise tractors for every location.”
Specifi cations Engine
Power gross [kW/hp(CV)] Displacement (ltr) Fuel capacity (ltr)
Tyres
Turf front Turf rear
27x10.5-15 44x18-20
SuperSteer™ Dimensions Wheelbase
Min turn radius Overall length
2057 2974 3288
33.6/45 2.2
49.2 TC45D-A
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