Here are the latest pictures of the Talus Tractor that will be used to launch the Mersey Lifeboat. The main body is finished and looks good in blue. The axles for the drive system are fitted and run in ballrace bearings to allow easy running. All the glazing has been cut out ready for fitting ( lots of nice expensive polycarbonate!!) after the cab interior has been completed using the drawings kindly sent by Clayton Engineering (Bigland Preparations) who made the Talus for the RNLI.

This last picture shows the motors that will provide the power for The Beast, they are 24v dc, 80 watt motors from electric scooters so should have ample grunt for the job!!

The next phase is the carrying wheels and the drive tracks and I will sent pictures as I solve the problems involved (hopefully!!!!!)
 

  Here are the latest pictures of  THE BEAST,  I have just made all the 120 track plates and have started to assemble the tracks. Each plate is made from two sections of birch ply accuratly overlapped and then drilled for the mounting holes. This has meant 240 4mm holes drilled within 0.1 mm of calculated position to avoid locking up the drive chains as the tracks go around the drive sprockets. Each of the two drive sprockets is made from a pair of 32 tooth bicycle pedal chain rings ( only the best used shimano sprockets for me, obtained from a local cycle dealer for free!) bolted onto a birch ply hub. Every other tooth has been ground off to clear the M4 bolt heads as the track goes around the sprocket. The original idea to use the hinge strip as I did on the carriage had to be abandoned as the pitch of the drive chain did not match up to the joints of the hinge strip.

 
 
 
 
The rubber track pads will be glued on to the outside of the track at a later stage. More pictures will be posted in due course.


I have just finished bolting all the track plates onto the drive chains of The Beast and I think that it now looks like a Talus tractor is supposed to look!! The drive sprockets are made from cycle sprockets bolted onto birch ply hubs.
The figure is a 12in high Action Man that I use as the crew on the Mersey, all dressed in RNLI gear made by my wife.





The great thing is that the tracks go around when 6v is applied !! The actual voltage will be 24v.

Next to add all the walkways and the winch at the rear of the model.
 

              HOME