It turns out even 150 volunteers may not be able to keep the trains running, on time or otherwise.

After multiple moves and flagging funding, the Twin City Model Railroad Museum is now facing an eviction notice with nowhere to go.

Officials with the St. Paul-based nonprofit — which relies largely on attendance fees — say they have a court summons for Oct. 26, though they hope to negotiate extra time.

Brandon Jutz, the museum’s vice president of marketing, said attendance has been on the rise over the past several years — to just over 30,000 last year.

“We just committed ourselves to a lease that we were unable to afford,” Jutz added, noting just over half of the museum’s expenses are rent. Last fiscal year, the museum’s total revenue, including admissions, events and donations, totaled $178,000. Still, they winded up $30,000 shy in rent money over the past summer.

Staff — comprised of volunteers and one half-time paid employee — hoped to make the museum a cross-generational attraction for all ages, with model trains built as early as the 1930s still running on over a dozen tracks.

“It’s fun watching the kids come in — boy, their eyes get big as saucers,” said Arnie Hochhalter, 82, a former computer programmer and analyst from Shoreview who has been volunteering for 15 years.

“I can repair the diesel engines, but I stay away from the steam ones, they’re a little too complicated,” Hochhalter added with a laugh, noting that some of the models on display were his own.

Whoops, you got Hochhalter talking about trains.

“Many of these trains were scratch-built by former club members. The Hiawatha, ran between Chicago and Minneapolis, built in 1939. Stopped in St. Paul, of course. That model still runs, but we don’t run it as much. It’s getting a little old and we can’t repair it. Made it in about six hours to Chicago. They kept their schedules. In those days the passenger trains had priority, they were clocked going 100 mph.”

Added Jutz: “I’m looking at it cross three generations — we see grandparents and kids all the time passing stories down about having a toy train.”

The museum kicked off in 1934 when a bunch of enthusiasts created an “O-gauge” model railroad under the name of the St. Paul Craftsman Club. O-gauge models were defined by tracks with rails that were typically 1.25 inches apart, and some of the trains built by the first club members are still running on display.

It started in a small space on Grand Avenue, then moved a couple times before finding a long-term home in the old Union Depot in 1939.

It lasted there until 1978, when it essentially became a mobile museum that only attended events.

Finally in 1984, it moved into the newly redeveloped Bandana Square, where it stands today.

“We didn’t really pay rent, and admission was a free-will admission box,” Jutz said.

The club officially became a museum in 1998 and began charging admission.

But in time the surrounding space changed and is now a mixed-use office space and medical complex.

“It changed over time, and we really didn’t change with it,” Jutz said. “For the membership the thought of moving was really a burden, but it was put off too long.”

The museum occupies two buildings, one owned by Wellington Management and the other — containing a toy train museum — by an individual.

Jutz stressed that the museum’s landlords have hardly been mustache-twirling villains, strapping them to tracks with dynamite.

“Our landlords have been incredibly accommodating,” Jutz said, noting that the individual owner “has really underwritten our operation in Bandana, but he’s in a position to sell. He needs us out to make renovations.”

The Toy Train museum, in the second building, was not part of the October court order; it will likely close Nov. 15, Jutz said.

The museum’s main area depicts the Twin Cities in the 1940s and 1950s, when the area was transitioning from steam to diesel power. Landmarks include the Stone Arch Bridge, Bandana Square Complex — and a playfully added scene from Grumpy Old Men.

A second building, also in Bandana Square, contains 17 additional displays. Some of it is hands-on, with children able to play with both electric powered and wooden models.

Several advocates of the museum — including St. Paul city council candidate Bill Hosko — have suggested moving the museum back into Union Depot.

Both museum and depot officials said they’ve talked about such an arrangement and found that the space simply wasn’t large enough.

“We love them; it would be awesome, but it wasn’t a good fit, literally,” said Depot spokeswoman Deborah Carter McCoy.

Jutz said the museum would like to remain in the Midway area and has a letter of intent with a space there. He declined to give the exact address.

“We’re all ears for other options,” Jutz said.

At the bare minimum — to keep the main historic display — the museum would need an open 5,000 square foot space. Ideally, they’d like to have 11,000 square feet for all of the displays.

Tad Vezner can be reached at 651-228-5461 or follow him on Twitter@SPnoir.

IF YOU WANT TO GO

The Twin City Model Railroad Museum is located at 1021 Bandana Square, off Energy Park Drive in the southwest corner of St. Paul’s Como Park neighborhood. Adult admission is $6 on weekdays and $8 on weekends; children 4 and under are free. Go to tcmrm.org for hours, which vary by day.

Those wishing to donate can go to the same web page and click on a PayPal donation link.