The SIECO boxcar that is represented by the Athearn model is an early seventies car. Definitely finding them with 1972-77 build dates; not sure about earlier than that.

 

Side note; the Burlington Northern merger also didn't happen until 1970, so any "60s built BN" cars would be fresh full repaints if they're in BN paint.

 

Thanks. Good side note too, I didn’t realize that merger was 1970.
I noticed some of the other 50’ Athearn cars share the same removable roof. Whichever way though, I’ll see if I can figure out a car # that was an early repaint in 70-71, and do a nice fade with heavy grime. Even if it looks a bit heavy for 7-8 years of use it’s fudge-able. Rule #1.
I should check and see if the Athearn roof would fit a Branchline 50’ car. Hadn’t thought of that until now.

 

I should check and see if the Athearn roof would fit a Branchline 50’ car. Hadn’t thought of that until now.

If you mean the "smooth-side" (interior post) 50' cars, probably not, as it's a different roof type. The X-panel from the Athearn car is an "overhanging" type roof and the older cars will have a non-overhanging roof (and the X-panel style is a bit more modern and would be unusual on the older type of car) so the eaves of the car and roof edge are quite different. There have been overhanging roofs on smooth-side cars, but it still changes the eaves a bit and you'd have to be pretty particular on matching an appropriate prototype (unless you're just not concerned about that sort of thing, but then you might not also be so concerned about the build/paint date either).

If you mean the outside-post Berwick car, well that's a mid-late seventies car that's contemporary to newer than the Athearn SIECO car.

 

Yeah my reasoning, albeit unusual, was a smooth side car that had the roof replaced 10+ years earlier. I’m sure that sort of thing has happened, but an OB car in faded BN green would be my preference really. The smooth side was just a spontaneous “I wonder if it’d fit” thing.