For anyone interested... I did speak with Lionel Customer Service today, and a very polite and professional customer service rep informed me that my RA# had been submitted to accounting for processing of the refund -- just as I had originally been told when Lionel provided the call tag for the locomotive to be returned.
So that's the plan, and it seems on track. Sounds like it's now out of customer service's hands and up to accounting to issue the refund. ETA for the refund check is expected to be 1-2 weeks.
Didn't get the impression that there was any official program in place to return the "re-worked" locomotives back to the consumer. Not sure what's with that story. Perhaps Lionel is attempting to appease some folks who still want the locomotive "fixed" rather than scrapped. Or perhaps they're working things on a case by case basis. Can't say for sure. 
David
