Lark (passenger train)
Encyclopedia
The Lark was an overnight passenger train
of the Southern Pacific Company on the 470-mile run between San-Francisco and Los-Angeles
. It became a streamliner on July 10, 1941 and was discontinued in April 1968. The Lark ran along the same route as the Coast Daylight (SP)
and was often pulled by a locomotive wearing the famous Daylight paint scheme of orange, red, and black.
trains between San José
and Los Angeles. The last two cars in each consist were known as the Oakland Lark and operated along east side of San Francisco Bay to that city. The two head end cars in each consist were heavyweights remodeled and painted to match the rest of the consists. The Lark consists were eighteen cars long between San José and Los Angeles, with eleven Los Angeles-San Francisco sleeping cars accommodating 228 passengers and two Oakland Lark cars for 29 passengers. In the center of each train set was the triple-unit articulated Lark Club with one unit fitted with a kitchen and crew dormitory space, the center articulated unit was a 48-seat dining room and the third articulated unit was a bar with seating for 48. The entire 96 seats of the dining and lounge area could be set up for serving breakfast in the morning or as additional cocktail lounge space in the evening. The Lark was to overnight travelers what the Morning Daylight and Noon Daylight were to day travelers in the Los-Angeles–San-Francisco market—safe, reliable deluxe transportation. The Lark was the only streamlined all-room sleeping car train to operate entirely within a single state and the only all-room train operating strictly on the west coast.
and GS-4
4-8-4
"Northern" steam locomotive
s painted in the Daylight colors of scarlet and orange. The SP never painted any locomotives in the Lark colors of two-tone gray.
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
of the Southern Pacific Company on the 470-mile run between San-Francisco and Los-Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. It became a streamliner on July 10, 1941 and was discontinued in April 1968. The Lark ran along the same route as the Coast Daylight (SP)
Coast Daylight (SP)
Coast Daylight was a passenger train originally run by the Southern Pacific Railroad between the cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco, California, via SP's Coast Line...
and was often pulled by a locomotive wearing the famous Daylight paint scheme of orange, red, and black.
Overview
The Lark was a deluxe all-room pair of lightweight streamlined sleeping carSleeping car
The sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
trains between San José
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
and Los Angeles. The last two cars in each consist were known as the Oakland Lark and operated along east side of San Francisco Bay to that city. The two head end cars in each consist were heavyweights remodeled and painted to match the rest of the consists. The Lark consists were eighteen cars long between San José and Los Angeles, with eleven Los Angeles-San Francisco sleeping cars accommodating 228 passengers and two Oakland Lark cars for 29 passengers. In the center of each train set was the triple-unit articulated Lark Club with one unit fitted with a kitchen and crew dormitory space, the center articulated unit was a 48-seat dining room and the third articulated unit was a bar with seating for 48. The entire 96 seats of the dining and lounge area could be set up for serving breakfast in the morning or as additional cocktail lounge space in the evening. The Lark was to overnight travelers what the Morning Daylight and Noon Daylight were to day travelers in the Los-Angeles–San-Francisco market—safe, reliable deluxe transportation. The Lark was the only streamlined all-room sleeping car train to operate entirely within a single state and the only all-room train operating strictly on the west coast.
Locomotives
The SP assigned streamlined GS-3Southern Pacific class GS-3
The GS-3 was a streamlined 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotive that served the Southern Pacific Company from 1938 to 1957. They were built by Lima Locomotive Works and were numbered 4416 through 4429. GS stands for "Golden State" or "General Service."...
and GS-4
Southern Pacific class GS-4
The GS-4 was a streamlined 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotive that served the Southern Pacific Company from 1941 to 1958. They were built by the Lima Locomotive Works and were numbered 4430 through 4457...
4-8-4
4-8-4
Under the Whyte notation classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-4 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and four trailing wheels on two axles .Other equivalent classifications are:UIC classification: 2D2...
"Northern" steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s painted in the Daylight colors of scarlet and orange. The SP never painted any locomotives in the Lark colors of two-tone gray.
Equipment used
| First Consist | Car Type | Second Consist |
|---|---|---|
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Southern Pacific class GS-4 The GS-4 was a streamlined 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotive that served the Southern Pacific Company from 1941 to 1958. They were built by the Lima Locomotive Works and were numbered 4430 through 4457... Streamlined 4-8-4 4-8-4 Under the Whyte notation classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-4 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and four trailing wheels on two axles .Other equivalent classifications are:UIC classification: 2D2... locomotive |
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Railway post office In the United States a railway post office, commonly abbreviated as RPO, was a railroad car that was normally operated in passenger service as a means to sort mail en route, in order to speed delivery. The RPO was staffed by highly trained Railway Mail Service postal clerks, and was off-limits to... car |
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Articulated 48-seat dining room unit Articulated 48-seat tavern lounge bar unit |
10278 10279 |
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Observation car An observation car/carriage/coach is a type of railroad passenger car, generally operated in a passenger train as the last carriage, with windows on the rear of the car for passengers' viewing pleasure... (Oakland Lark) |
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