B737-200 CREW HAD MULTIPLE AND CHRONIC TOTAL AC ELECTRICAL FAILURE; AT NIGHT.

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FLT ABCD; ATL-RIC; 97 PAX AND 5 CREW MEMBERS ABOARD. VMC AT NIGHT. RADAR VECTORS FOR THE VISUAL APCH RWY 2 AT RIC. DSNDING THROUGH APPROX 4000 FT MSL; APPROX 15 NM SSW OF THE ARPT. THE ACFT WENT DARK -- NO COCKPIT OR CABIN LIGHTING. THE STANDBY ATTITUDE INDICATOR AND STANDBY ALTIMETER/AIRSPD INDICATOR WERE OPERABLE AND ILLUMINATED. MASTER CAUTION LIGHTS AND AUTOPLT DISC LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. I AM AWARE OF NO OTHER LIGHTS. THE CONDITIONS LASTED 20-30 SECONDS; THEN EVERYTHING RETURNED TO NORMAL. THE APU WAS STARTED AND AN EMER WAS DECLARED. WE REQUESTED A RWY CHANGE TO RWY 34 DUE TO INCREASED RWY LENGTH. ABOUT A MIN AFTER THE FIRST EVENT; A PARTIAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE OCCURRED; ACCOMPANIED BY A L GENERATOR BUS LIGHT. A RESET OF THE GENERATOR WAS ATTEMPTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH QRH PROCS. THIS RESULTED IN ANOTHER TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE -- WHICH LASTED 10-15 SECONDS AFTER THE APU CAME ON LINE AND PICKED UP THE L GENERATOR BUS. A NORMAL LNDG; ROLLOUT; TAXI IN FOLLOWED. EMER EQUIP FOLLOWED THE ACFT TO THE GATE. THE ACFT HAD A HISTORY OF L GENERATOR PROBS. THOROUGH DISCUSSIONS WITH MAINT AND A THOROUGH LOGBOOK ENTRY RESULTED IN THE ACFT BEING PULLED FROM SVC. A MAINT CREW WAS DISPATCHED TO RIC THE FOLLOWING DAY.