As a daily Gold Line rider to LAUPT and someone familiar with what is being planned at LAUPT, here are some answers to the original question, and a few highlights on why LAUPT is a fascinating and pre-emininent US Rail Station.

Only three of the garden tracks are in service at LAUPT. Construction of the Gold Line Flyover to track 1 and 2 took the inside tracks out of service. A fine collection of private railroad cars can be seen on the garden tracks.

Amtrak does typically load on 9-10 or 11-12 (long distance trains) at LAUPT, but under certain circumstances may load elsewhere (except 1-2 which are now the Gold Line tracks).

Tracks 13 and 14 are being fully restored to service as this is being written. Ground has been broken to add the new power switches, and the "freight" (express/mail) platform is to be removed shortly. Track 13-14 s are being put back in service to accomodate the expansion of commuter rail service slated for mid/late 2009. A new 5th lead was put in service at LAUPT last year to reduce peak period delay and allow for more flexibility in accessing the "short" side platforms.

Today Metrolink (the Southern California Commuter Rail operator)is moving close to 45,000 daily passengers (starting from just 2000 at start up less than 20 years ago), with over 2/3's coming into LAUPT. Gold Line adds another 22,000 daily trips with 2/3's of those into LAUPT. In addition thousands transfer to the Red Line Subway (bottom level), thousands more get on Amtrak (especially the Pacific Surfliners (18 departures daily), and thousands more arrive and depart on local, express, Amtrak and intercity buses, making LAUPT, the last of the great train stations (1939), one of the busiest rail station in the United States.

Those visiting the ATSF Historical and Technical Society meeting in Riverside, CA, and the NNRA Convention in Anaheim, CA, both this coming July, should definitely visit LAUPT, and take a ride on the very scenic Gold Line--route of the Santa Fe Chiefs--to Pasadena, where the historic Pasadena depot is reopening as a restaurant. Convenient rail service on either Amtrak or Metrolink is available from both locations on weekdays (lots of service) and weekends (limited commuter service) to LAUPT (with views of intermodal yards and the Alameda Corridor along the BNSF OC Line).

Hope this helps?

BOB2