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