A view of the south west side of the developing park. This image was probably taken from the TV antenna tower. At this point Bill had not started building any of the park “rides” yet. Still developing the landscaping.
This image was probably taken around 1964.
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Posted by: Ron Warris | 11-30-2005 | 10:11 PM
Posted in: Deltasia Park | Images | Latest Posts | Comments (0)
An image of Bill Jr. “Billy” canoeing next to the island with the ornamental bird aviary.
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Posted by: Ron Warris | 11-27-2005 | 09:11 PM
Posted in: Deltasia Park | Comments (0)
A view of the suspension bridge Bill built for the park.
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Posted by: Ron Warris | 11-27-2005 | 09:11 PM
Posted in: Deltasia Park | Comments (0)
Bill Kelsey and a customer standing next to a new Kelsey steam boiler. For more details about this boiler, see this post.
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Posted by: Ron Warris | 11-27-2005 | 08:11 PM
Posted in: Kelsey Manufacturing | Comments (0)
This is a portrait of the classic Kelsey steam boiler. This design was manufactured by Bill’s company from around 1952 until 1960 or so. Several thousand where built and sold from Bill’s little manufacturing shop on Waverly St. in Delhi Ontario.
Click on the picture to download a high resolution TIF (18 Meg)
The boiler was used to sterilize the soil in tobacco greenhouses and to humidify and ‘condition’ cured tobacco so that it could be handled without shattering.
The boiler featured a number of innovative features for the time, including low pressure operation (70 PSI as opposed to 150 PSI that was more commonly used by the old converted steam engines that some farmers used.) Numerous safety features including a firebox fire suppression system (a lead plug at the top of the firebox that would melt and use the boiler water to put out out the coal fire if it got to hot), an overpressure relief valve, and insulated jacketed exterior. None of these features were particularly innovative, but they were unique for an industry that used old converted steam engines that tended to blow up from time-to-time.
The design also featured a “superheater” to make the steam super hot (800F) as it was believed that hotter steam made sterilization go faster. (Something that Bill would disprove in later years.)
It is probably not an exaggeration to say that this boiler was the leading edge of a massive modernization movement of the tobacco industry that Bill launched with Kelsey Manufacturing. Up until this time the farming of tobacco was highly labor intensive using antiquated equipment and techniques.
50 years later I believe that there are still some of these boilers in operation in Southwestern Ontario, although they are probably exceedingly rare now that the tobacco industry is in its waining years.
Scott (my brother) would love to get his hands on one of these intact boilers. If anyone knows where there may be one, let Scott know by email at scott@warris.com.
Posted by: Ron Warris | 11-27-2005 | 07:11 PM
Posted in: Kelsey Manufacturing | Comments (3)
This portrait of the entire Kelsey family was taken in 1913 at the original homestead near Landsdowne Ontario. Bill is the youngest in the image.
This image was particularly challenging to restore as it had a lot of marks and scratches, but I think it turned out pretty good.
Click on the picture to download a high resolution TIF (6 Meg)
Back Row : Gordon, Herbert, Gertrude, Emma, Annas
Front Row : Stewart, Lillian, Willard (with his hand on his fathers knee), James, Gramma Taylor, Marion, Stanley, Kenneth
Posted by: Ron Warris | 11-27-2005 | 06:11 PM
Posted in: Family | Comments (3)
This is a close-up of the pantograph flame cutting table clamping system. This shows several hundred stacked sheets of sheet metal. The bellows clamp that held the sheets in place while they were cut with the flame torch are just above the stack.
Click on the picture to download a high resolution TIF (21 Meg)
Posted by: Ron Warris | 11-27-2005 | 02:11 AM
Posted in: The War Years | Comments (0)
Bill often spoke about designing a pantograph style flame cutting table that could cut hundreds of stacked sheets of sheet metal using a unique clamping system that employed a set of bellows and air pressure. You can see a close up view of the clamping system in this post.
I was never sure if he actually come up with this design, or if it was something he copied from another application. In any case this image shows the machine in operation. I am not sure if it is Bill in the picture.
Click on the picture to download a high resolution TIF (21 Meg)
Posted by: Ron Warris | 11-27-2005 | 01:11 AM
Posted in: The War Years | Comments (0)
Some sort of heat treating oven that I assume Bill had something to do with at Frost & Woods (?) during the second world war.
I don’t have much more information about this image. If anyone knows more, please post a comment.
Click on the picture to download a high resolution TIF (21 Meg)
Posted by: Ron Warris | 11-27-2005 | 01:11 AM
Posted in: The War Years | Comments (0)
Some sort of heat treating oven that I assume Bill had something to do with at Frost & Woods (?) during the second world war.
I don’t have much more information about this image. If anyone knows more, please post a comment.
Click on the picture to download a high resolution TIF (21 Meg)
Posted by: Ron Warris | 11-27-2005 | 01:11 AM
Posted in: The War Years | Comments (0)