Good to know, Bruce.  Smaller quantities of various materials for a foundry might well be a possibility.  Among the rail served businesses Marshalltown was Lennox which include foundry type parts in the furnaces but those parts may have been made for Lennox by one of two foundries in Marshalltown.  There was also the Alligator Wrench company and, of course, Marshalltown Trowel.  This container business may work for me after all.