Eppleton Hall (1914)

The Eppleton Hall is a steam-powered paddlewheel tugboat recognizable by the twin side-lever, or grasshopper, engines that drive its paddle wheels independently. Built in nineteen fourteen by Hepple and Company in South Shields, England, the vessel was designed to navigate the River Tyne and River Wear, towing heavy coal-carrying ships to and from the docks. As the only remaining intact example of a Tyne-built paddle tug, it represents a now-rare era of maritime commerce where such vessels were essential for maneuvering large ships through tight estuaries.