The Cornwall Railway was authorised to construct a branch from its Plymouth to Falmouth main line but lack of funds prevented this.

An independent Bodmin and Cornwall Junction Railway was authorised in 1864 to construct the branch but again, a lack of funds prevented the work.

This had opened a line from its own Bodmin station to Wadebridge in 1834, although by 1888 it was operated by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR).

[1] This gave Wadebridge access to the main line for the first time as the LSWR's own route from Exeter through Launceston did not open until 1895.

[3] Passenger services were withdrawn by British Rail (BR) on 30 January 1967 but freight continued to Wadebridge until 2 September 1978 and to Wenford until 3 October 1983.

Its GWR 1361 Class locomotive 1363 was kept there and sometimes gave trips around the station area but was moved to their headquarters at Didcot Railway Centre in 1982.

[3] After freight traffic ceased a Bodmin Railway Preservation Society was formed in 1984, their aim being to reopen the whole of the GWR line to Boscarne Junction.

[9] The siding at Walker Lines was used from December 1989 until July 1991 for freight traffic dispatched by the Fitzgerald Lighting Company.

Traffic was resumed in September 1996 with English, Welsh and Scottish Railway providing the main line haulage but ceased in July 2001 when EWS closed their wagonload network.

[16] Download coordinates as: The railway is 6 miles 12 chains (9.9 km) long[17] and climbs about 300 ft (91 m) on gradients as steep as 1 in 37.

This platform, on the east side of the line, was opened in 1992 to serve Bodmin Farm Park which has since closed but it also gives access to Cardinham Woods.

There are also shunting locomotives typical of military and industrial sites in the area including Alfred and Judy, two low height 0-4-0STs which were specially constructed by W. G. Bagnall for the Port of Par.

The oldest item is a ganger's pump trolley dating from when the London and South Western Railway owned the Bodmin and Wadebridge line.