A closer look at a model steam engine boat made by Kenneth Beselim.
Kenneth Beselim holds one of the model steam engine boats he has made in his Kalama home on April 9.
Kalama resident Kenneth Beselim, 90, was born in 1929 and raised by his mother and father in Everett.
Beselim’s father worked as an engineer and tugboat captain so he spent his childhood learning all about each ship and saw his father fix different things. This is what inspired him to pursue a career in engineering.
Beselim worked for the state of Alaska on various ships for 23 years.
“As a chief engineer I was in charge of all the equipment aboard and that was my history for many years,” he said. “I learned how to be a machinist and I was quite versatile with my hands.”
Beselim explained that a ship is like a small city: there’s sewage, water, electricity, and refrigeration all handled on the ship itself. His job was in charge of all the equipment aboard the vessel.
“When you’re 3,000 miles at sea and something breaks down, you can’t call up Joe at the local hardware store to help you,” he said. “I used to spend days in the machine shop making parts for the ship, that’s how I got a lot of my experience.”
Once Beselim retired in 1985 he knew he needed something new to do. He began tinkering with the tiny model boat engines and once he was satisfied, he put it up for sale. A mini steam engine collector bought it and asked him if he was willing to build more.
Over the next 15 years, Beselim made more small engines for the collector and other people around the world.
“I’ve got engines all over the world: Hong Kong, Australia, Paris, Ireland, a few other places and within the United States. I’ve worked many hours on them, and I’ve always enjoyed it.”
The hours Beselim puts into his work come from the long process of hand building each working part.
“I’m one of the few guys in the world that does this kind of work, it’s very intricate,’ he said. “I make the molds for the castings then I go to the foundry to get the castings made, then there’s all the machine work and fabrications.”
“There’s no easy part when building a model steam engine,” Beselim added with a laugh.
Along with his time as an Alaskan engineer Beselim has held many different jobs, from owning two restaurants and a tavern to owning a beef farm and a meat processing plant. He also bought fishing boats in his spare time, tearing the hollows off and rebuilding them. He used one of those boats to start up his own commercial fishing business.
Building engines isn’t the only thing that keeps Beselim’s mind sharp at 90 years old.
He continues to play the organ, cook for his girlfriend and add to his life experiences by traveling. He just returned from a cruise in Germany and tries to visit his favorite Hawaiian island Maui every year.
