The Talyllyn Railway (Welsh: Rheilffordd Talyllyn) is a narrow-gauge preserved railway in Wales running for 7.25 miles (11.67 km) from Tywyn on the Mid-Wales coast to Nant Gwernol near the village of Abergynolwyn. The line was opened in 1866 to carry slate from the quarries at Bryn Eglwys to Tywyn, and was the first narrow gauge railway in Britain authorised by Act of Parliament to carry passengers using steam haulage. Despite severe under-investment,  the line remained open, and in 1951 it became the first railway in the world to be preserved as a heritage railway by volunteers.

Since preservation, the railway has operated as a tourist attraction, expanding its rolling stock through acquisition and an engineering programme to build new locomotives and carriages. In 1976, an extension was opened along the former mineral line from Abergynolwyn to the new station at Nant Gwernol.

Wharf Station was originally called King's station after a local landowner,.  At first it was not a passenger station , but a place for transhipment of slates from the narrow gauge to the adjoining Cambrian Railway. Passenger trains started at the next station, Pendre. Even after passenger services started running, the station had no run-round loop; shunting was carried out by propelling trains up the gradient out of the station and allowing them to run in under gravity. It was only after the line had been preserved in 1951 that a loop was finally provided.

The Narrow Gauge Railway Museum was first built here in 1955 in a disused gunpowder store, housing some relics and locomotives that had been donated to the Talyllyn but for various reasons were not suitable for use. This was later moved into a separate building. Since then, the station building and museum have both been extended, culminating in the opening in 2005 of a brand new museum, shop and cafe by Prince Charles and The Duchess of Cornwall, following demolition of the previous museum building.