Enormous Lifting Power
The Whirley Crane, named for its ability to turn 360 degrees, currently sits next to the SS Red Oak Victory ship. At a weight of close to 230 thousand pounds, this crane is the only one left of dozens that were used to help build ships at record speed. The scale of it, is enormous, like a revolving boxcar sitting on massive legs as tall as a 10-story building. Whirley cranes were used to move very large and heavy components from place to place in the shipyard. The cranes could work alone or in unison and could manage enormous amounts of steel while lifting and moving large, prefabricated components into place during the assembly of ships. A single Whirley crane could lift up to 166 thousand pounds, alone.
Today, Shipyard No. 3 is the only remaining shipyard of the four constructed in Richmond. This shipyard facilitated mass production of wartime ships and retained its exemplary resources in part because it was built to be a permanent facility.
Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park
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Audio Stop: The Whirley Crane
This audio program provides a brief history behind the crane and it's use in the Richmond shipyards.
Credit / Author:
NPS/Luther Bailey
Date created:
08/01/2023
Audio Transcript
The Whirley Crane, named for its ability to turn 360 degrees, currently sits next to the SS Red Oak Victory ship. At a weight of close to 230 thousand pounds, this crane is the only one left of dozens that were used to help build ships at record speed. The scale of it, is enormous, like a revolving boxcar sitting on massive legs as tall as a 10-story building. Whirley cranes were used to move very large and heavy components from place to place in the shipyard. The cranes could work alone or in unison and could manage enormous amounts of steel while lifting and moving large, prefabricated components into place during the assembly of ships. A single Whirley crane could lift up to 166 thousand pounds, alone.
This shipyard facilitated mass production of wartime ships and retained its exemplary resources in part because it was built to be a permanent facility.
Audio Stop: The Whirley Crane
This audio program provides a brief history behind the crane and it's use in the Richmond shipyards.
Credit / Author:
NPS/Luther Bailey
Date created:
08/01/2023
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service