They are clueless, like many antique auctioneers here, spoofers, making it up as they go along. Antique auctions here, with a few exceptions, have genuine articles along with fakes and "sexed up" items sprinkled into the mix designed to confuse. Genuine, but humdrum items with modern stuck-on bogus lettering to make them more attractive for sale. It's fun to spot how they get their descriptions wildly incorrect or even things photographed upside down. Non railway items described as "railway" this or that because they have a notion that railway things make more money.
Buyer beware are the watchwords here.