Thanks for the answers--especially Alison and Mick. Whether French won or lost the lawsuit, the railroad is defunct and the song lives on ;}

Alison: I can remember the tune; but if your band ever comes to the Blackheath Folk Club I will make you sing it for me!

Neil: I should have followed up that thread to thank people, because I got very good advice. As suggested, I approached the guy as a fellow musician. He told me he is professional and that the band has a workshop where they do their serious practice. He just liked to unwind by banging on the drums for a while when he came home from work. We agreed that I could stand 20 minutes or so of the drums now that I knew that the time was finite. (I put it more diplomatically.) He is a heavy metal player and we parted as friends. I think he is my first heavy metalic friend. I am told one of my nephews in Philadelphia has become a drummer in a band, so next time I visit there I might have two heavy metal friends!

Thanks again,

Murray