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