Hi Chaps thought it was about time I updated you on the Simplex I've been slowly making progress (around fitting in a couple of holidays).
Most of the work has been about tidying things up so that that they look less like a bodge, so her' a few pics of some of the work done.
The running board didn't clear the top of the cylinder so fitted a bracket so that the running board could be lifted up.


I also split the running board so that it would be easy to get to the valve chest for maintenance with a one piece board the side tanks would have to be removed to get to them.

This is how they now fit over the cylinders a lot better.

Full shot of the new running board fitted

Also re worked the smoke box door re-skimmed the face, with the rough arse finished it had it wouldn't have closed air tight, also made a new hinges, dart and closing handles.

Had a problem fitting the left hand side tank, the boiler fire box is a bit lop sided as a result the tank overhung the running boards on that side a fair bit, the fix required a bit of drastic surgery I had to move the side of the tank in 1/2" and fit a false side with space to accommodate the boiler.

I would lose some water storage capacity but there is more than enough available. The fix worked out OK.

You can also see the fire box cladding that I've made in the last pic along with the new spectacle plate..
He is a pic of the footplate I still need to do the pipe work.

I just have the bunker tank to make that should take a couple of days, then its a strip down to do the plumbing, then the 1 1/2 working pressure test and the steam test at the end of the month with luck.
Getting excited

Stew