A singing lark and a speeding Lark, both are creatures of the dawn.
From 1941 until April 8, 1968, the Southern Pacific Railroad Company operated the Lark overnight passenger train on the 470-mile run between San Francisco and Los Angeles. The Lark was train #75 (northbound) and #76 (southbound). It was the only all-room/roomette sleeping car train operating within a single state and specifically on the West Coast.
The Lark was often pulled by a locomotive wearing the famous Southern Pacific Daylights paint scheme of orange, red, and black. It departed at 9:00pm and arrived at 9:00am. Pullman sleepers; the Lark Club trio of articulated kitchen, dining and lounge cars; and at one time, two observation cars made this a popular way to transit the state for business people and movie folks alike through the mid-1950’s.
Of course, as always, all good things must end. By the late 1950’s, ridership was down as business travelers moved to the airlines. By 1967, the Lark was down to a handful of cars and passengers. In 1968, the once-popular luxury streamliner was finally discontinued.