I contacted a very larger dealer as well, maybe even the same one you speak of and got the same message. im curious of this as well. my brother in law mentioned that his friend got an excavator from that dealer but only because he picked it up and because it was for a fleet. not sure if that makes a difference or not. i believe it has to do with delivery. maybe mention you're willing to pick up?
That might be worth a shot.
At the end of the day if there are (as a fictitious example) say 2 B2601s in New England and 15 B2601s in Ohio.......if I am willing to drive there and load that thing on a trailer and drive it home, what do they care? Why would I chase the 1 or 2 unicorns where the dealer has all the leverage or might not be able to get exactly what I want.