The Care and Restoration of Timetables & Paper Railroadiana

Paper Cleaning Methods

It’s your lucky day! You’ve just discovered that volume needed to complete a set of railroad reports, or a hard to find old timetable in a junk shop. It may be a long time before one surfaces again and the price is low, so it doesn’t matter that it is in a dirty, moldy old box. Once you’ve purchased that great find, the next question is: how do you clean 100 years of dirt off of it? Over time, I have tried a number of different cleaning methods and products, so I thought that it would be helpful to other collectors if I shared the results.

First, understand that every paper is unique and will react differently to the various cleaning methods. Any time that you attempt to clean something, you run the risk of damaging or destroying it. For this reason, if you stumble on something unique or priceless, it would probably be worth investing in the services of a professional conservator. For everything else, with a little care and patience, soiled timetables and papers can be cleaned with relatively inexpensive materials.

The first thing that I do before even bringing a new purchase into the house is to inspect it for dirt, insects, and mold. That bargain box of timetables isn’t such a good deal if it brings a colony of book eating silverfish or other insects into your home. Likewise, a damp or moldy book may damage or cause mold growth on adjacent books if simply placed on the shelf without cleaning. If a book or paper shows signs of insect damage, I completely brush it out and watch it for a week or so before adding it to the collection. For moldy books, I set them on a table with the pages fanned out for a few days until they are completely dry. Then, I gently brush them out and wipe the covers with a dry cloth. Really musty smelling books or timetables can sometimes require weeks of this treatment (which also works for smoke), but will eventually air out.

Once I’m certain that an item won’t contaminate the rest of my collection, then I’m ready to start cleaning it. The first step is to brush off any loose dust and dirt. I usually do this on a table on the back porch, so that the particles don’t get around the house. Artist’s brushes that are available in craft or art supply stores are good tools for this job. Don’t use hardware store paintbrushes and check the labels on art brushes, as some are treated with oils or chemicals to aid with paint application, but are harmful to papers. A gentle brushing toward the edges of papers, and away from the spine on books will remove any loose dust. Heavier soiling requires several passes, with a circular motion over areas of buildup, but without applying too much pressure. The object is to brush away whatever is loose without rubbing it into the paper.

Whatever soiling is left on the paper can now be tackled with one of the surface cleaning methods. Which method works best depends on the type of paper being cleaned. For old book covers, I’ve had good results using vulcanized rubber sponges. These are available from archival suppliers and home improvement stores, and are primarily used for cleaning dirt or soot off of walls and furniture. Some people also use these sponges for cleaning paper, but I find them to be too tacky to do a good job on anything but a hard surface. After going over a book cover with the sponge, I wipe it down with a heavy paper towel (I like the ones called “Rags in a Box”) to make sure there is nothing left that would rub off. By holding the book tightly closed, I give the same treatment to the edges of the pages where there is often a heavy dust build up.

For timetables and other paper, one of the best ways to remove light soiling or pencil marks is simply to gently rub it with an eraser. For this method, it is important to choose the right type of eraser. Regular rubber erasers such as the ones on pencils will scuff the paper or leave residue. I primarily use an artist’s plastic eraser, such as the “Mars Plastic” or “Magic Rub” brands. Artist’s gum erasers are also commonly used, but I find that the white plastic ones have a finer grain and better show when they are getting dirty. Before erasing over the printed part of a document, I test in an inconspicuous place to be certain that the ink won’t come off and the paper won’t get scuffed. Then, I lightly rub over the soiled areas, being careful not to press too hard. It is important to periodically brush the eraser scraps off, and clean the eraser by rubbing it on the table or a piece of scrap paper. After one or two passes, everything that can be removed by this method should be gone. More erasing should be avoided, as the paper will eventually get worn.

For larger papers with light but extensive soiling, or to avoid the abrasive effect of erasers, document cleaning powders are available. These powders are nothing more than ground up erasers, which when rubbed over a paper, have an effect similar to actually using a block eraser. The advantages of the powder are the ability to cover a larger area with one application, and the lower chance of scuffing the paper. The disadvantage is that the powder tends to cling to the paper and can be difficult to clean up when you are finished. Thoroughly cleaning up the residue is extremely important, as any granules that remain can eventually rub a hole through the paper. Other than that, using document cleaning powder is as simple as sprinkling it on, gently rubbing it around, and brushing it off. I’ve run across three different options for cleaning powder. First is the kind available from archival suppliers, which seems to be a varying mix of plastic and gum erasers. Second, I recently discovered one made exclusivly of Mars Plastic erasers at an art supply store that is more uniform in consistency. Third, if you have a favorite type of eraser, you can do as many conservators do and make your own powder by grating erasers. Whatever type you choose, it can be a handy alternative to going over an entire document with a block eraser.

Once these steps have been completed, the timetable or paper will have been cleaned of any loose or dry particles. Hopefully, this pretty well took care of whatever soiling existed, but will have left any water stains, acid stains or tape residue. Stain removal usually requires wet cleaning methods, which are somewhat risky and should generally be left to professionals. Tape removal is a little more challenging than regular cleaning, but isn’t impossible, so we’ll cover that in a future article. Most timetables have just accumulated a little dirt over the years, though, so using these methods should greatly improve their appearance. In my experience, it has been very rewarding to pay low prices for timetables that look like dirty junk, and turn them into nice pieces for my collection.