Streetcar roof removal?

[Flare]

My Christmas Village Streetcar auto-reversing set just arrived, and the pole on the roof broke off during shipping.  (It's a used set so no warranty)

I tried removing the roof from a spare United Traction body I have, but the poles on the ends got bent while trying to pull them out from the holes in the corners.

What can be done to prevent bending the poles when I order a new roof?

[Flare]

I found a way to loosen the poles:

I used a rotary tool with a plastic-cutting wheel to remove the old roof's material until the metal poles were exposed, then they came out much easier.