WORK has been in progress for some years to produce a new carriage for transporting life-boats down to the sea at stations where there is no suitable harbour and no means of launching a life-boat down a slipway. For some time the need has been felt to find a track which would carry the increasing weight of the boats over all types of beaches.

Extensive trials were carried out over the different types of beaches encountered with four designs of tracks. Of these it was found that the girder tracks produced by Messrs.

Roadless Traction of Hounslow gave the best results. Unlike the types in use hitherto, in which a different design is necessary for each type of beach, these tracks worked satisfactorily on both sand and shingle beaches and also over mud flats. The trials were conducted at Sheringham, Wells, Hoylake, Aberystwyth and Caister.

Size of Tracks Increased The length and width of the tracks have both been increased, and this has served to reduce the ground pressure with the result that the track does not sink so deeply into the beach.

The new carriage is of welded steel construction and its shape is similar to that of the carriages which have been in use until now, but a number of improvements have been introduced which make it easier to recover the boat. It is now possible, for instance, to recover the boat without completely removing the fore-carriage. The forecarriage is now attached to the main keelway by hinge and locking pins.

By the removal of the locking pin the main keelway can be tipped to receive the stern of the boat, which is then hauled on to the carriage stern first.

The stern securing chain is rove as the boat is moving, and as the centre of gravity of the boat passes the main axle of the carriage, the boat and the main portion of the carriage tip automatically.

Hauling continues until the stern chain is tight, by which time the boat is in the correct position on the carriage. The fore-carriage locking pin is then inserted and the fore ihain secured.

Fore Part Detachable The wheels of the fore part of the new carriage are fitted with pneumatic tyres, and the carriage is so designed that the fore part can be detached and joined to the other end. This may be an advantage if conditions are such that it is easier to recover the boat bow first.

Another advantage of the new carriage is that launching can be effected by the tractor driver alone without the help of a man on the tractor launching platform. This has been made possible by the use of an automatic slip hook by which the tractor is attached to the fore-carriage draw bar or released from it.

The prototype of the new carriage has been in service for some months at Sheringham, and the crew have expressed complete satisfaction with the way in which it can be operated at this station where launching conditions are often difficult. Four more carriages of the new design are at present under construction..