Jim Hickey built a wide array models in his lifetime. Fortunately, A great number of them have ended up in the hands of some lucky modelers. Jim Zwernemann and Bruce Blalock stepped to help Jim’s widow dispose of the models. These two friends spent a great deal of time inventoring all of his models and boxes of detail parts to they could be disposed of. Bruce and Jim started the process before he passed. Much of the material was offered on eBay and to other Proto48 modelers who want to expand their collections.
Jim Hickey finished this imported brass covered hopper using his own decals (Protocals). The trucks are Proto48.
Here are two brass imports that Jim detailed to follow specific Southern Pacific prototypes. Both locomotives were converted to Proto48 by Jim.
I would like to thank Bruce Blalock for providing these beautiful photographs.
Gene
Gene's P48 Blog 
I was fortunate enough to obtain the Southern Pacific hopper pictured, thank you Gene for giving me it’s background I will treasure it until it’s time for someone else to care for it
Gene;
Always a pleasure to view Jims work-supurb is almost inadequate-and if you notice, he signed and dated most models-on the frame-
Regards,
Jesse
He was quiet who didn’t like to talk much about his own techniques.