Help translating an Italian train car

[Boxbox1234]

This is my first time posting and I don't really know much abou trains. But I'm helping someone who is translating an Italian book into English. The train car in the book is called a "carrellino civetta" and it's described as a special car that they put in front of a train, not necessarily to clear obstacles off the track, but it was a car that was put on the front of the train when there was a bomb threat, so that the “carrellino civetta” would take the bomb, get blown up, and thus protect the passengers. It also sounds like no one would ride in this car and the time period would have been the 1960s.

For reference, "carrellino" is the diminutive of "carrello", which means a train car and "civetta" is an owl. So the literal translation would be "little owl car."

I've been looking for an equivalent in English, but nothing seems quite right. It's not a "guard car" and "pilot car" doesn't seem to be a thing (even though pilot engines are). I've been thinking that "dummy car" might work. Does anyone have any thoughts on what it's technical name might be in English?

Many thanks in advance!

[rcdrye]

There is no direct translation because the practice was seldom if ever used in english-speaking countries.  German wartime trains used similar cars (Schutzwagen = protection car) but did not seem to have a single designation for them. 

[daveklepper]

Probably best to use  direct translation of the VGerman, so "Protection Car" seems appropriate.

[pennytrains]

I agree.  Protective, protection or even decoy car seem like good descriptions of their purpose.

However "Little Owl" seems to suggest maybe someone was in these cars looking for danger like sabotaged rail, obstructions on the line or even ambushers waiting to attack the engine crews.