An effort was made to flog them off to adjoining landowners rather than go to the expense of recovering them. When I was student engineer I chauffeured the Tyseley area signalling inspector (who didn't have a driving license) around the farms on the Aynho - Bicester line trying this trick. These were the last poles on the B'ham division to go, the date would be winter of 1978 / 9.
Damned if I can remember his name, a slight, quietly spoken man, close to retirement, with a shock of snowy white hair. Shared the end office with Keith Hopkins.
For the model, the cut - down stumps would still be visible after, say, 2 years. Comparatively clean and tidy concrete troughing will be needed as well.