The pub lay beside a railway bridge on the corner of Garford Street and close to the gates of the West India Dock.
It was built around 1840 and was greatly extended in 1919.
Charlie Brown, the landlord between 1893 until 1932, hosted in his pub a museum of curiosities gathered from all over the world, brought by seaman sailing to and from the docks. The majority of items in the collection were from the Far East and Pacific. Charlie Brown would pay for any interesting items not already in his collection.
Charlie was a flamboyant character who, alongside being a publican, kept a stable of horses and would ride along the West and East India Dock Roads in riding gear.
Charlie died in 1932 at the age of 72 and his funeral was a renowned East End occasion.
On his death, Charlie Brown’s daughter Ethel took over the Railway Tavern until 1936.
His son - also called Charlie Brown - took over the Blue Posts, directly opposite. In 1938, he moved to South Woodford to a pub which he named Charlie Brown’s, located on the intersection of the North Circular Road with the Southend Road. In 1972 this pub was demolished when the roundabout was enlarged. The roundabout is still commonly referred to as Charlie Brown’s Roundabout.
Meanwhile, the Limehouse Railway Tavernwas formally renamed as Charlie Brown’s in 1972. It was demolished in November 1989 during construction of the Limehouse Link tunnel.