My childish passion for Model Railroading is well known, and since long is the favourite target for jokes and mockeries by most of my friends. And sometimes also by people who barely know me.

From time to time, it can also give room to pleasant, unexpected moments, and one of them comes back to my mind whenever I happen to look at a special set of freight cars, which shine on top of my collection.

These cars - fifteen: one for each year that I’d been working there - were given me as a farewell gift by the colleagues of my department, when I resigned from Finanza & Futuro in 2002.

It was very clever of them that they were able to think of a gift so beautifully unusual, and so much centered on my tastes. And a sure way for me to never forget anyone of them.