saving whirley crane cw 3204 “we can do it” whirley crane rescue team

SAVING WHIRLEY CRANE CW 3204

“WE CAN DO IT” WHIRLEY CRANE RESCUE TEAM

In November 2005,

Whirley Crane CW 3204 was moved to Shipyard #3 and became an icon of

Rosie the Riveter/

World War II Home Front

National Historical Park.

WHAT IS A WHIRLEY CRANE?A versatile crane that can rotate 360 degrees

WHIRLEY CRANE CW 3204

• 1935 – Built by Clyde Iron Works, Inc., of Duluth, MN for Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier Co.

• 1935 - Shipped to Washington for construction of the Grand Coulee Dam

WHIRLEY CRANE CW 3204

• 1941 - Relocated to Todd California Shipbuilding Corp. (later Kaiser) in Richmond, California

• 1998 – Retired by Levin Terminals after 63 years of service

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

• LAST SURVIVING WHIRLEY CRANE FROM RICHMOND WW II KAISER SHIPYARDS

• IMPORTANT PIECE OF WW II HOME FRONT HISTORY

• PART OF ROSIE THE RIVETER WW II HOME FRONT NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK

The Kaiser Company used the Whirley cranes to speed up production.

The cranes lifted the massive

PRE-ASSEMBLED sections into place.

Prior to 1940, the average time to build a cargo ship

was one year.

The Richmond Kaiser Shipyards hold the record for the fastest construction

of a cargo ship during

World War II.

The Robert E Perry: 4 days 15 hours

The Cranes were the most recognizable symbol of the

Kaiser Richmond Shipyards

Shipyard #2 under construction

Whirley Crane 3204 Came from

Shipyard #1,

and may have helped to build the

Red Oak Victory

RED OAK VICTORY, RICHMOND CA

Rosie the Riveter WW II Home Front National Historical Park

CHALLENGES

• CRANE WEIGHS 200 TONS• ONLY ONE CRANE IN CALIFORNIA

LARGE ENOUGH TO LIFT ONTO A BARGE

• RAILS AT DESTINATION ARE 30 INCHES NARROWER THAN EXISTING RAILS

• NEW FOUNDATION REQUIRED UNDER ONE NEW RAIL

NEW FOUNDATION IN HISTORIC DRYDOCK GALLERIES

Josephine, “the Hook” WW II Crane Operator

A “Rosie”

Another “Rosie”

More “Rosies”

THANKS TO:

• Rosie the Riveter Trust• National Park Service• City of Richmond• Dozens of businesses and private

citizens who contributed $130,000 in cash and services to make it happen