[Gary]

From a British perspective antique would probably be from a period before the Big 4 were formed so any model loco in a pre 1923 livery that was actually produced before 1923 would probably be classified as antique. I would go along with the museum piece theory suggested by Peter.

Anybody with memories of playing with pre 1923 toy trains as kids would now have to be a minimum of 90 years young.

Happy modelling
Gary

 

[Gary]

Another word that I spotted the other day in an article was relic

Is a relic older or newer than an antique and what would you consider to be relics in the railway modelling world?

Is anything produced in a factory that has been demolished a relic?

Such as a wagon being a relic of the Dublo factory in Liverpool, or the Graham Farish factory in Bromley, Kent?

Or is a relic something that can no longer be used with current day products without modification such as Trix TTR kit or is no longer useful such as old electrical equipment that basically could be hazardous?

Relics used to be bags of bones carries around by druids and such like who practiced all sorts of weird and wacky things. It could be that a relic is simply classified as something that no longer has any practical use except in the eye of the beholder.

This of course is different to an antique which could still have a practical use.

When looking for collectables if something is described as being an "antique" would it merit any more attention than something described as being a "relic"?

Relics can of course still be in production as there are relics of the Triang days still being manufacturered and sold. The original Triang Princess with the plunger pick ups could be classified as both an antique and a relic. What chance Hornby releasing this version as a limited edition!

And what about Lima relics!

Happy modelling
Gary