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Quainton Road railway station

Quainton Road railway station was opened in 1868 near Quainton, Buckinghamshire, 44 miles (71 km) from London. It was built by the Aylesbury and Buckingham Railway after pressure from the 3rd Duke of Buckingham to route the railway near his home. It connected with the Brill Tramway, which carried goods from the duke's estates and passengers from Brill, and was heavily used despite its geographical isolation. Both lines were absorbed in 1891 by the Metropolitan Railway (MR), which operated from Aylesbury to London. When the Great Central Railway from the north of England opened in 1899, Quainton Road became a significant junction. The MR became part of the London Passenger Transport Board's London Underground in 1933. The Brill Tramway was closed in 1935, and Underground trains were withdrawn north of Aylesbury after 1936. Quainton Road closed to passengers in 1963 and to goods in 1966. In 1969 the Quainton Road Society was formed; it restored and reopened the station as the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre. Freight trains still use the line, and passenger trains call for special events. (Full article...)

Part of the Brill Tramway series, one of Wikipedia's featured topics.

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Masada

An aerial view of Masada, an ancient fortification in the Southern District of Israel. Found atop an isolated rock plateau, it overlooks the Dead Sea. The first fortifications on the mountain were built by Alexander Jannaeus, and significantly strengthened by the Roman client king Herod between 37 and 31 BCE. During the First Jewish–Roman War of 66–73 CE, the fortress was besieged, falling only after the 960 Sicarii defending it committed mass suicide.

Masada is among the more popular tourist attractions in Israel, and in 2001 it was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Photograph: Andrew Shiva

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