18 on Morristown Line this afternoon

This (Friday) afternoon, I saw 18 pull two charter passenger cars eastbound on the NJT Morristown Line at Madison at around 3:34. 18 was at the lead, with the two cars following (a Budd stainless coach and the blue opened platform car-forget its name). I heard the sounds of a train rumbling and looked up at the viaduct, expecting to see a NJT train, but was amazed to see this.

Where was it going? I would not expect a ME consist to be headed eastbound on the Morristown line.

See jhdeasy's post from yesterday. These cars were on their way to Amtrak. The blue car was the business car Ohio River, fresh out of the paint shop today. The other car was the Mount Vernon.

Sandy

So I saw M & E 18 it on its way to New York to deliver the cars to the Cardinal?

Where would 18 drop off the cars? NY Penn Station? Sunnyside Yard? Or will AMTK 51 pick them up in Newark?

They would drop off the cars in the MMC in Kearny. From there an NJT crew will deliver the cars to Hudson to be picked up by an Amtrak crew for Sunnyside to be added to 51.

7 train -

" I would not expect a ME consist to be headed eastbound on the Morristown line. "

Occurs with a fair degree of regularity 7....the M&E goes back and forth to the MMC to retrieve or deliver cars....light engine moves not uncommon either.