Two thoughts.
1) Maybe Lionel got screwed. There is a lot of turbulence in the Chinese labor market now. Chinese suppliers (in other industries) that I am working with have simply renegde on their production agreements if they have labor problems or even find a better deal to fill their factory, leaving the supplier holding now-empty promises. Maybe this happened. I see everyone: Lionel, MTH, WBB, even Menards with its most recent Feed and Seed, having quality and production problems, so I am not assuming that this is Lionel's fault.
2) It can't be hard to make one yourself! It's a frigging plastic box on two standard O-gauge trucks, with a rather simple paint scheme. Nothing other than a flatcar would be easier to scratch build. The paint scheme looks at first blush like it would require three rather straightforward masking steps, and you could buy the lettering you need at from that vinyl lettering website we've talked about here.
Lee, I think that you hit the nail on the head. China has always been a place full of unstable and unreliable job shops. They fully understand that American corporations have their products made there to exploit the cheap labor to save money. In many cases they bid jobs at low prices and then find out that there is little money to be made and shift direction. The Chinese labor force is largely made up of uneducated, unskilled improperly trained workers who's daily wage amounts to food for the day. They work six 10 hour days, and in many cases live in factory owned dormitories where the only space provided is a bunk bed and one bathroom for 30 people. Chinese companies are also VERY unethical. It is an unstable work environment to say the least and as the Chinese worker demanding more wages for a better their standard of living change will result. In some cases the few skilled workers are achieving but overall the situation is bleak and I believe that China is heading for massive political upheaval. As this happens look for manufacturing to continue on its path to return here
