The Railway Tavern - Richmond white plaque

This white commemorative plaque records: The Railway Tavern The coming of the railway in 1846 led to the opening of new taverns and public houses in the section of Kew Gardens now called the Quadrant. The Railway Tavern dates back to 1849, originally known as the Locomotive. The first mention of the Locomotive as a public house was in 1849 when two people were killed in a railway accident. An Old Bailey trial reported that a group of railway workers had taken refreshment there before operating a light engine that they drove into the path of a freight train. The round corner tower on the front of the building was said to be used as a lookout post for incoming trains to the original station and for potential customers. Recorded plaque organisation: Nicholson's.

The Railway Tavern, originally named the Locomotive, opened in 1849 in Richmond following the arrival of the railway in 1846; it gained notoriety after an 1849 railway accident where workers involved had reportedly consumed alcohol at the tavern prior to the incident.